Pepperdine Graphic 10-15-2020

THE PEPPERDINE GRAPHIC VOLUME L |

ISSUE 7 | October 15, 2020

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Grpahic by Melissa Locke

SPP Dean Petitions Against ‘Far Left’ Curriculum Ashely m o w r e ader new s edi to r Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy (SPP), shared a Pepperdine-affiliated petition with Conservative News subscribers Oct. 12 against “leftist indoctrination” of U.S. students from new ethnic curriculum.

The petition stands against teaching “leftist curriculum” in schools and specifically opposes The New York Times’ The 1619 Project curriculum of “debunked, non-historical claims,” according to the School of Public Policy petition. Pepperdine administration was unaware of the petition prior to its release and has suspended the School of Public Policy’s involvement with the campaign, according to the University’s statement.

“There are dire consequences to allowing a liberal viewpoint to be forced on the next generation, and we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg right now,” according to Peterson’s email from Conservative News.

Peterson sent the petition via a Conservative News email Monday as a message from the organiza-

tion’s sponsor, the School of Public Policy, according to the email.

Conservative News is a subsect of The Daily Wire, conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro’s news organization. In media bias analyses, The Daily Wire received mixed ratings in reliability but high ratings for right-leaning bias by Ad Fontes Media and Media Bias/Fact Check websites.

Peterson, in an interview with the Graphic, said the connection to Conservative News came from the School of Public Policy’s search for a third-party email fundraising campaign manager. SPP hired Active Engagement, a conservative political fundraising agency that works with other Christian universities like Colorado Christian University, for a first attempt at email fundraising.

Other clients of Active Engagement include The Ben Shapiro Report, The Daily Wire, PragerU and The Babylon Bee. Peterson said he approved two kinds of email messaging that Active Engagement wrote — one addressing curriculum like The 1619 Project and civics education in the U.S., and the other highlighting a

lack of viewpoint diversity for conservatives on college campuses.

“The email marketing agency wrote up the messages,” Peterson said. “While I did not write the messages, I did approve them, at least in their broader themes, and so the responsibility for those messages is mine completely.”

Peterson said Active Engagement has shared various emails from the School of Public Policy with the themes of civics education and viewpoint diversity for two to three weeks, with plans to continue the campaign until February or March.

The School of Public Policy did not see the design of the Conservative News email prior to release nor was he aware his photo would be used in the campaign, Peterson said. He also said the tone of the messages did not reflect Pepperdine or the School of Public Policy but rather was “aggressive” and “crass.”

He did, however, stand by the messaging against the use of The 1619 Project as civics education and the for the School of Public Policy as a conservative graduate school.

“Here at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, we’re fighting back against the leftist indoctrination of students by educating future conservative public policy makers about the Constitution and what makes America great,” according to the email Peterson signed.

The School of Public Policy, according to the email, is a graduate school that prepares young leaders from “a decidedly conservative, Christian worldview” to shape policy in the world. Peterson said the school does not market itself as conservative on its website, but given the school’s approach to different issues such as free markets, religious liberty and policy, SPP is considered a conservative program.

“That particular petition, while in framework I had worked with advancement on — it was fully my decision,” Peterson said. “It was something that was proposed by the agency, again, as a way of gathering emails and also some fundraising or donor gifts were part of that petition as well.”

The 1619 Project is a Pulitzer-winning magazine that, according to The New York Times, seeks to reframe the history of the United States by focusing on the consequences of slavery and contributions of Black individuals to American history. The magazine consists of 12 essays from NYT journalists, a five-episode podcast series, reader submissions, a sports section and a behind-the-scenes feature.

The Petition and The 1619 Project The petition attached to Peterson’s email urges President Donald Trump to strip funding from any school teaching “radical, anti-American curriculum” like The 1619 Project, claiming tax dollars should not instill divisive and biased information.

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Campus to Remain Closed Due to LA County Health Orders tions of higher education in LA to limit acess to campus for non-essential visitors “to the greatest extent permitted by the law,” according to LA County health protocols. The restrictions also prohibit in-person lectures and gatherings at institutions of higher education in LA. Complying with these orders is only one reason Pepperdine made the decision to limit access to campus. Other motivations were the desire to uphold the safety of students, faculty and staff and “contribute to the greater public health,” Horton said.

Two other LA schools — Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California — imposed restrictions similar to Pepperdine’s as a result of LA County’s protocols.

At LMU, on-campus housing is limited, the library is closed and on-campus gatherings are prohibited. Undergraduate instruction is entirely remote, and those approved to enter campus must fill out a daily wellness check similar to Pepperdine’s.

All USC-sponsored events are also prohibited on and off campus, and library build-

Natal ie Hardt New s Assista n t Typically bustling Pepperdine locations like Payson Library and Alumni Park remain closed, and the University continues to prohibit off-campus students from entering campus absent an exception. Other universities in the area mirrored Pepperdine’s decision to shut down campus and its resources as a result of Los Angeles County health orders.

Following the announcement that all fall 2020 classes would be remote and on-campus access limited to only those with no alternative housing options, President Jim Gash announced Aug. 19 that LA County Department of Public Health orders prohibited off-campus students from coming to campus and banned on-campus events.

“We would love to [be more open], is the bottom line,” said Connie Horton, vice president for Student Affairs. “We miss students.

We wish we could allow you on. We hope we are helping people get what they need.”

County health guidelines require institu-

News

What ’s AHE A D

A3- Pepp faculty and staff share their experiences during COVID-19.

A4-

A8- The Heidelberg

A5-

International Program Director shares changes to the city since March.

the thewaves wavesreport report

L if e & A r t s

Pe r s pe ct iv e s Staff Editorial: PGM staff share how they unplug from Zoom.

Perspectives writer Sahej Bhasin argues Proctortrack is an invasion of student privacy.

Thurs: Fri: 3-5 1–2ftft

ings are closed to the public. Additionally, all courses are online, and campus access is limited and requires a daily health form.

Pepperdine is ready to reopen campus resources if LA County updates health protocols to allow it, Horton said. Nonetheless, Pepperdine does not anticipate any new guidance until after Thanksgiving, at which point the semester will be over.

According to responses to an anonymous Sept. 1 Graphic survey of 59 students, over 50% of students surveyed would go to campus if on-campus resources were reopened.

Sophomore Jack Holcombe lives in Malibu and said while he would prefer access to campus, he supports Pepperdine’s decision.

Although Payson is closed, librarians remain available through the library website, and print books are available through Pepperdine Libraries’ newly announced mail delivery service.

Rare exceptions permit off-campus students to come to campus to pick up an item or go to the Student Health Center, Horton said. Exceptions were more common at the beginning of the semester, when students

acceptance through entertainment.

NATAL IE.HAR DT@PEPPER DINE.EDU

l is te n to The Gr a ph

SP ORTS

alumnus aims B1- Pepp to inspire LGBTQ+

who left their cars on campus in the spring returned to retrieve them. Pepperdine is not allowing students access to campus for any social reasons, such as using Payson Library or going to club events, Horton said.

To come to campus, students must contact Stacy Montgomery, who confirms the legitimacy of their reason and then makes arrangements with the Department of Public Safety to allow the student to briefly visit campus.

Horton said it is important to maintain compliance and cooperate fully with LA County to ensure a smoother reopening process once health orders permit it.

Horton also said Pepperdine and the Emergency Operations Committee are in frequent contact with the county and have great familiarity with the current health guidance.

“Our folks are so connected to the LA and the State people,” Horton said. “We are in there; we are having meetings and phone calls and updates and clarifications all the time with them.”

B4- Volleyball player

and alumnus Dave Wieczorek plays abroad in Europe.

T he g r ap hi c’s Ne ws P o d c ast

B2- Fresh Faces: Read the B5- Women’s Tennis and stories of four firstyear students.

Sat: Fri:3-5 1–2ftft

Men’s Golf kick off the Pepperdine sports season for 2020.

sun: Sat:3-5 2–4ftft

Mon: Sun:2-4 2–3ftft

Hosts Ivy Moore and Lindsey Sullivan discuss the future of IP with reporters Emily Shaw and Ashley Mowreader.

Avaliable on Spotify and SoundCloud

Tue: Mon:3-4 2–3ftft

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O C T O B E R 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | N E W S | P E P P E R DIN E G RA P H I C ME D I A

Covid-19

THE DPS REPORTS

by the numbers

Check out pepperdine.edu/publicsafety for the DPS Reports every week

Pepperdine Community:

59 1 two Deaths

Known Cases

9/26/20 1:59 p.m.

Crime: Larceny/Theft Petty Theft - Misc.

Location: Alumni Park

1

Malibu:

105 Cases

three Deaths

3

Los angeles county:

PRESIDENT’S BRIEFING & OTHER NEWS YOU MISSED SGA Pa sse d re solution f or a ch uma sh me moria l Je rry Calder on, ICC pr eside nt and co-founder of the in digenous people’s club, proposed a r esolution for a per manent memor ial on campus to commemor ate th e chumash people and th eir land.

6,773

Deaths

U.S.:

7.94M

Pe p p e r d i ne w i ll ho s t t he 202 4 NCA A W e s t e r n R e gi o na l b a s k e t b a ll t o u r na m e nt at t he s ta p le s ce nt e r P ep p erdi ne was s u p p os ed to hos t t he 2 02 0 nc aa wes t reg i onal , b u t t he tou rnament was c anc el ed due t o c ovi d-1 9.

p e p p e r d i ne r e ce i v e s li lly e nd o w m e nt gr a nt t o e s ta b li s h r e s t o r at i v e i ni t i at i v e P ep p rec ei ved a $ 1 mi l l i on f rom L i l ly endowment i nc. , t o s t reng t hen c hu rc hes of c hri s t i n t he wes t ern u ni t ed s tat es t hrou g h t he T hri vi ng c ong regat i ons i ni t i at i ve.

v i r tu al eve n ts f or the upc om in g w e e k

282,982 cases

SGA urge s a d min istration to ma ke a d e c ision f or spring 2021 Student Gover nment association is pushing pepper dine administr ator s to make a decision about r eopening campus or holding in-per son classes for spr ing 2021.

THURS 15

What: The gathering When: 7 p.m. PDT hosted by: the well and celebration chapel What: Hispanic Heritage Month Award Ceremony When: 8 p.m. PDT hosted by: the well and celebration chapel

FRI 16

What: Alpha Omega Friday Night Devo When: 7 P.m. PDT Hosted by: Alpha Omega Campus Ministry

MON 19

What: Monday Night Football with ATO When: 5:30 p.m. PDT Hosted by: Alpha Tau Omega and Interfraternity Council What: Asanas for all: A GWBA Virtual yoga class When: 6 p.m. PDT Hosted by: Graziadio women’s business association

TUES 20

What: Crossroads game night When: 7:30 P.m. PDT Hosted by: Crossroads What: Tea/Matcha Party When: 8 P.M. PDT Hosted by: Japanese Student union

WED 21

What: Sustainable Cooking Party When: 5 P.m. PDT Hosted by: Pepperdine Volunteer Center What: BSA Game Night When: 6 P.m. PDT Hosted by: Black Student Association

cases

week

216K Deaths Worldwide:

38.4M cases

1.09M

Deaths Malibu reopening phase:

3

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O C T O B E R 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | N E W S | P E P P E R DI N E G RA P H I C ME D I A

Pepp faculty and staff find silver linings amid loss and isolation during COVID-19 Natal ie Hardt New s Ass i sta n t The pandemic and social distancing precautions bleed into all aspects of life for University members. Health concerns, COVID-19 related deaths in the community and fully remote instruction continue to impact faculty and staff.

Within the Pepperdine community, the University has reported 58 cases of COVID-19 and two deaths since March. Pepperdine decided to conduct classes completely online this semester due to continuing health concerns and restrictions.

Pepperdine faculty and staff struggle with feelings of isolation, adjusting to an online format and the loss of loved ones due to COVID-19. Amid the adverse effects of the pandemic, certain silver linings have emerged — more time with immediate family, improved connections with distant friends and peers and a greater sense of gratitude for in-person time with students, friends and coworkers.

“COVID-19 makes everything more complicated,” said Studio Art Professor Gretchen Batcheller. “Even joy is kind of complicated, and then when there are challenges, they feel more complicated because you know psychologically, mentally, spiritually, you’re a little bit tapped already dealing with this environment.

Gus [Peterson, Batcheller’s husband] and my sort of mantra has been, ‘We’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got.’”

The Challenges: Isolation, Loss and Finding Balance Batcheller’s 6-year-old daughter, Winefred, has an underlying health condition, which Batcheller said prompted her family to be extra cautious since early in March when they realized the threat COVID-19 posed.

The precautionary measures

they took meant their family went months without seeing others, which Batcheller said was lonely and sometimes suffocating.

“I’m going to do everything I possibly can to protect my child,” Batcheller said. “If there’s some extra mile or some extra thing I do that could be helpful, then of course I’m going to do it.

It’s more work, more labor, to be that fastidious.”

As restrictions loosened and more business opened, Batcheller and Peterson reevaluate and attempt to find a balance between remaining vigilant against COVID-19 and being a little less isolated. They started allowing Winefred to play with kids from a select group of families who are also limiting their interactions with others.

The Pepperdine community also faced loss during this time, including the death of Professor of Law James M. McGoldrick on May 16 due to COVID-19 complications. Dean of the Caruso School of Law Paul L. Caron said McGoldrick was “an institution at the law school” as the longest-serving faculty member, and his death greatly impacted students, faculty and staff.

“He contacted me on a Saturday right before they were going to be putting him on a ventilator,” Caron said.

“He wanted to talk about how he would assign other faculty to finish his course.

That story just really hit the faculty — that at that moment, his concern was for his students.”

Caron said McGoldrick’s death caused faculty and staff to be hyperaware of the importance of being cautious, which they must balance against the desire to return to an in-person experience due to the greater sense of community and improved course engagement it offers.

Role Faculty Played in Pepperdine’s Decisions About Fall Batcheller said she felt the surveys Pepperdine con-

Photo courtesy of Paul Caron Dean of the Caruso School of Law Paul Caron leads the fall 2019 semester’s first Bible study with the law school’s Christian Legal Society at his home. Caron continued hosting this Bible study virtually this semester to help maintain and build community among students. ducted on faculty opinions regarding potential teaching formats affected University decisions about how to conduct the fall semester.

She said she appreciated the flexibility the University gave by allowing faculty members to choose whether they would teach in person or fully online.

Caron said he played a significant role in the decisions Pepperdine made about which format to offer classes in this semester. He said receiving the counsel of students, faculty and staff was key in the decision-making process.

The Caruso School of Law gave faculty complete freedom in choosing how to deliver their courses before the administration decided to go completely remote.

Caron said many professors struggled to balance the desire to be in person with students against significant health worries.

Caron said one of his utmost concerns as dean this semester is building and maintaining a sense of community through an online format, particularly for firstyear students — commonly referred to as 1Ls. The Caruso School of Law pri-

oritized this in initial plans to have all 1L courses in person this fall.

“Our faculty was great, and we had many faculty who were older who nevertheless volunteered to teach on ground because they thought it was such an important component of the school,” Caron said.

The Silver COVID-19

Linings

of

Batcheller said while quarantining can be isolating and challenging, she is grateful for the increased time her family has gotten to spend together, even as she and Peterson work full time.

Another unanticipated benefit of COVID-19 is the opportunity to develop new learning methods and ways of forming community within remote instruction, Batcheller said.

“I love learning new things,” Batcheller said. “It’s part of the reason why I’m in academia. And so navigating new issues and new problems — and coming up with creative solutions and becoming more savvy with different delivery methods — has been interesting to me.”

English Professor Julianne Smith said she also believes increased widespread use of video conferencing has been beneficial. Zoom has helped distant friends and students to better keep in touch and maintain connections, she said. She recently attended a virtual celebration of three former students who finished dissertations for their doctorate degrees.

“I’ve connected and reconnected with people because of Zoom in ways that wouldn’t have occurred to me before,” Smith said. “It’s reshaping the possibilities of ways we can have virtual communities.”

Caron said he also makes use of digital conferencing to help maintain community among law students through a weekly Bible study he hosts with his wife. This technology has also enabled the Caruso School of Law to secure some “spectacular folks” in the legal field to speak to students who typically would not be able to due to budget or travel constraints, Caron said.

Batcheller said she believes COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions will make people more appreciative of

casual interactions that may have seemed insignificant before the pandemic, such as running into students and casually spending time with friends. “[The pandemic] is a season, and we’re going to come out the other side loving and enjoying the things that maybe we took for granted before, like the chance encounters in the hallway,” Batcheller said.

“I’ll definitely relish those once we have them again.

And even if they’re awkward, masked, six feet apart, there’s still something so life giving about that.”

NATAL IE.HAR DT@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Career center continues mentoring students despite economic uncertainty Addie Whiten New s a ssista n t Pepperdine’s Career Center provides students with opportunities to learn about potential jobs after graduation, receive help creating resumes and applying for positions, attend career fairs and more. Now, the Career Center is figuring out how to do all of that virtually.

This semester, the Career Center faces the unique added duty of continuing to match students with internships and jobs as the state of the market and remote work opportunities remain uncertain.

“We’re adapting just like all of the students are,” said Sarah Dillion, marketing and events manager for the Career Center.

The Career Center made its shift to a completely virtual presence over the summer, and after researching different ways to operate remotely, offered two online career fairs in September, Dillion said.

“My main goal is to figure out the best way to connect employers with students,” Dillion said.

Our main goal is definitely to give students all the tools they need to prepare themselves for success after Seaver.

Sarah Dillion Marketing and Events Manager for the seaver career center Dillion said the staff at the Career Center worried over what the job market would look

like for students applying for internships and post-grad jobs since the pandemic forced many businesses to close in March.

“We were scared the economy would freeze and no one would be hiring,” Dillion said. “For a few months, we saw a bit of that, but hiring has picked back up.”

Prior to the pandemic, not many employers offered remote internships for students, but now even major companies like NBC have created those opportunities, Dillion said.

“We have tons of [remote] jobs and internships that are available,” Dillion said. “We have companies that are still trying to get in touch with us and have us connect with students.”

Dillion said even if a student had an internship or application canceled due to the pandemic, there are many opportunities now available to them.

“Internships are back out there, and so if students haven’t been looking because they think there’s not anything out there, be sure to check Handshake,” Dillion said. “There are plenty available right now.”

For seniors specifically, the Career Center offers webinars aiming to educate them on what they need to know to get ready for graduation and a career after they leave Pepperdine, Dillion said. Upcoming webinars are Oct. 21 at 8 p.m., PDT, and Nov. 4 at 7 p.m., PDT. The Career Center typically offers students the opportunity to meet with career counselors, called industry specialists, Dillion said. Students can now make appointments on Handshake to meet with industry specialists via Zoom.

These industry specialists also offer open office hours for students to drop in and ask questions or receive advice, Dillion said.

Two more upcoming opportunities for professional development for students will be career-focused workshops, Dillion said. Teach for America will host Tips for a Successful Virtual Interview on Oct. 28 at 1 p.m., PDT, and Shana Love, from the California state auditor’s office, will host Skills that Define High Performance Leaders on Oct. 20

at noon, PDT. Dillion also said there is a collection of online resources available to students that launched in 2019 called “Career Everywhere,” which includes: VMock, a resume reviewer that uses artificial intelligence; Roadtrip Nation, a video library that allows students to explore possible future careers; Real World Ready, a platform that teaches real world “adulting” concepts; and PeppConnect, a directory of alumni mentors.

While the Career Center strives to continue offering online opportunities for career development for students, Dillion said her team is aware that many students are experiencing Zoom fatigue, so attending more online events isn’t always appealing to them. She said she hopes, however, the Career Center achieves its ultimate goal for students, even during this virtual semester.

“Our main goal is definitely to give students all the tools they need to prepare them for success after Seaver,” Dillion said.

ADDIE.W HITEN@PEPPER DINE.EDU

The Graphic

PERSPECTIVES pepper di ne-g r aphi c.com

Oct o b e r 15 , 2 0 2 0

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STAFF LIST

MADELINE DUVALL| ART EDITOR

S T A F F E D I T O R I A L Unplug from the university tugging for your attention This is not the semester anyone wanted. Pepperdine requiring electronic devices to attend classes and participate in any semblance of campus culture makes detaching from technology more difficult and necessary than ever before. In August, the University shared an article on Twitter by Graziadio Business School Professor Cristel Russell explaining “how too much screen time can be detrimental to our health and well-being”; the irony was not lost on us.

The pressure to unplug so often becomes an issue of personal responsibility — yet another box to check off the never-ending to-do list. To spend a moment offline, we risk falling behind on work and missing the next update from friends we cannot meet face to face.

At the Graphic, we seek to provide solutions in many of our journalism stories. We also acknowledge it is insulting to assume we can all be as resilient this year as we may have been during previous semesters. Rather than supplying calls to action or opinions, some staff members chose to share their experiences to help our readers find meaningful ways to log off, take a break and get a break.

“When I feel like I’m going to explode from looking at my screen too long, I force myself to get up and go on a drive. I try to get my sister to come with me, but if not, I use the time to clear my head or call some of my friends to catch up — even if it’s just for a few minutes.”

—Caroline Sharpless, Perspectives Editor “The time I spend each morning applying my makeup is one of the few parts of my day when I am able to focus only on myself; it is one of the only times when I am able to relax, be creative and forget about my to-do list. It makes me feel empowered, happy and ready to take on the

day.” —Makena Huey, Managing Editor “I only download social media apps when I want to post something — and then I delete them right after I post. This way, I’m not consumed with checking likes and comments and can focus on the task at hand.

My screen time goes way down when I do this, and I’m generally happier and less distracted because of it.”

—Grace Wood, News Assistant Editor “I’ve found going on prayer walks particularly helpful with disconnecting from technology and reconnecting spiritually. I focus on breathing and giving time for God to say what He wants. I’ve also found music to be essential with the transition between busyness and quiet reflection.

For me, that’s playing the guitar, but you could also listen to worship music; I recommend instrumental, since words can be distracting, and to turn your phone on airplane mode. Also read the Bible — there’s some good stuff in there.” —Lindsey Sullivan, Podcast Producer “The most helpful thing I do to unplug is spend time with my family and focus on them. Even a short amount of time with family reminds me that the assignment I’m stressed out about is not that big of a deal in the long run.” —Rowan Toke, Life & Arts Editor “If I feel overwhelmed by Zoom and school, I’ll pick up a book, get out an embroidery project, draw up a sketch or sit on my back porch and watch the birds. Before COVID-19, I thought having such mundane pastimes was a little silly because I lived on a campus full of my friends, and they were always down to go on adventures. But now that I’m stuck in my childhood bedroom, all of the simple, quiet hobbies I’ve maintained over the years have risen to the surface, and I’m so grateful

THE 'BU YORKER

to have coping mechanisms at my disposal that don’t rely on having a lot of money, company or energy for me to do.”

—Madeline Duvall, Art Editor “I like to go outside to shoot hoops or throw the ball for my dog.

You have to be intentional about moving around since you don’t have the built-in exercise of walking all over campus.” —Paxton Ritchey, Sports Assistant Editor “Between coordinating group projects and my remote jobs, I do a lot of messaging throughout the day, so I’ve found it helpful to compartmentalize communications. To avoid clogging up texts and my ever-growing inbox, I try to keep all work-related stuff on Slack. Slack feels much more organized than email, and I love that I can mark messages as unread — a feature I wish texts had — to respond to later. Named GroupMe channels and such are also a great, free alternative, especially when that one group project member has an Android.” —Marisa Dragos, Video Producer “I relish time outdoors and use it as a way to clear my mind. I try to play beach and grass volleyball at least once a week with friends.

I make as much effort as possible to eat dinner with others — safely, of course — and I’ve also started to cook more because I’m trying to not be as reliant on takeout. So I’ve learned new recipes and make stuff on my own, and I take all the moments away from the computer I can.” —Ali Levens, Photo Editor “I bought this book on psychological disorders and medical treatments that I read when I get overwhelmed or exhausted. It categorizes all of the disorders by type and gives resources for more information. If I’m not in the mood to read, though, I’ll open up my old choir binder and sing the songs I performed in high school or

my first semester of college. Music is one of my best ways to destress.

Sometimes I’ll even try to touch my toes while doing vocal warmups so I can both exercise and unwind.” —AJ Muonagolu, Perspectives Assistant Editor “I don’t like responding to texts or emails while I’m trying to take a break, which is usually on the weekends. Just watching sports with my family — like on football Sundays — helps relieve stress, too, and making a social event out of it.” —Sofia Longo, Life & Arts Assistant Editor “I spend a lot of time playing and writing music, and I like reading physical books — not Kindle books — so that’s also kept me away from screens. I would tell others wanting to unplug that there are hundreds of hobbies out there that don’t involve technology, so go out and find one you like doing; there has to be something out there for you. Learn it in your spare time. And step away from the computer between classes for at least an hour if you can.” —Kaelin Mendez, Head Podcast Producer The Graphic staff helps each other disconnect by reducing tasks, working ahead of deadlines and allowing flexibility in schedules. We still deal with rigid timetables, of course, and it can be admittedly difficult to touch base with all the people we need to about the many class and commitment demands we endure on a weekly basis. Compassion and communication are key in any successful community.

While our team cannot provide readers with a one-size-fits-all plan to unplug, we have found this much to be true: When we detach from technology, we encourage others to detach as well — whatever it takes to make that screen time slightly more bearable.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Madeline Duvall | Art Editor

Letters to the Editor must bear the writer’s name, signature, class standing, major, address and phone number (except in some circumstances determined appropriate by the Graphic).

Letters must be fewer than 300 words and will be edited for syntax, grammar and brevity. Letters can be mailed to student publications or emailed to peppgraphicmedia@gmail.com

CONTACT US

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M ANAG I NG ED I TO R M AK E N A H U E Y D I G I TAL ED I TO R B R IAN N A WIL L IS C O PY C HI EF B RYAN T L O N E Y NEW S ED I TO R AS H L E Y M O WR E AD E R NEW S ASS I STANT ED I TO R G R ACE WO O D NEW S AS SI S TANTS U M E E S H A D’ALWIS N ATAL IE H AR D T AD D IE WH ITE N S eni o r R ep o r ter E m ily S h aw L I FE & AR TS ED I TO R R O WAN TO K E L I FE & AR TS ASS I STANT ED I TO R S O F IA L O N G O L I FE & AR TS AS SI S TANTS CH R IS T IN K AR R S am an t h a T o r r e J e s s ica Wan g L I FE & AR TS C O PY ED I TO R N ICO L E WIT T S P O R TS ED I TO R KAR L WIN T E R SP O R TS AS SI S TANT ED I TO R PAX TO N R ITCH E Y SP O R TS C O PY ED I TO R Wh it n e y b u s s e l l S P O R TS ASS I STANT J U S T IN T O U H E Y S P O R TS D ES I G N AS SI S TANT IN E Z K IM P ER SP EC TI V ES ED I TO R CAR O L IN E S H AR PL E S S P ER SP EC TI V ES ASS I STANT AJ M U O N AG O L U P ER S P EC TI V ES C O PY ED I TO R TIF FAN Y H AL L L EAD D ESI G NER M E L IS S A L O CK E HEAD P O D C AST P R O D U C ER KAE L IN M E N D E Z P O D C AST P R O D U C ER S IV Y M O O R E L IN D S E Y S U L L IVAN AR T ED I TO R M AD E L IN E D U VAL L AR T As si s tant ED I TO R AL LY AR M S T R O N G AR TI S TS L E AH B AE GAB BY D IG IOVAN N I S AM AN TH A M IL L E R P HO TO ED I TO R AL I L E V E N S AS SI S TANT P HO TO ED I TO R J AY L E N E R AM L I P HO TO G R AP HER CH AR L O T TE WAL K E R V I D EO P R O D U C ER M AR IS A D R AG O S P I X EL ED I TO R B ryan t L o n e y B U SI NESS D I R EC TO R H AD L E Y B IG G S ADV ER TI SI NG M ANAG ER MISSION STATEMENT “Pepperdine Graphic Media (PGM) is an editorially independent student news organization that focuses on Pepperdine University and the surrounding communities. PGM consists of the digital and print Graphic, a variety of special publications, GNews, Currents Magazine, social media platforms and an Advertising Department. These platforms serve the community with news, opinion, contemporary information and a public forum for discussion. PGM strengthens students for purpose, service and leadership by developing their skills in writing, editing and publication production, by providing a vehicle to integrate and implement their liberal arts education, and by developing students’ critical thinking through independent editorial judgment. PGM participates in Pepperdine’s Christian mission and affirmations, especially the pursuit of truth, excellence and freedom in a context of public service.

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Views expressed are diverse and, of course, do not correspond to all views of any University board, administration, faculty, staff, student or other constituency.”

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OCT O B E R 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | PE RS PE C TIVE S | P E P P E R D I N E G RA P H I C ME D I A

Proctortrack invades students’ privacy and risks their safety Pepperdine and, as of Oct. 4, it had over 300 signatures.

“I wanted to inform the students of everything that Proctortrack entails,” Jay said. “I don’t think a lot of people read the terms and conditions when they agree to things, so I want them to know Sahej Bhasin what information they are giving up.” s ta f f w r i t e r Proctortrack collects extensive To ensure students maintain information such as students’ Soacademic integrity in their online cial Security numbers, employment classes, Pepperdine is utilizing the information, copies of a driver’s exam proctoring service Proctorlicense, screen captures, phone track, a system created by Verifinumbers, emails and biometric cient Technologies Inc. The system data that includes scans of a stumonitors students through their dent’s hands, face or knuckles. cameras and screens as they take While Proctortrack claims its tests and quizzes. Proctortrack is a servers are secure, the company danger to students not because of does not assume any responsibility its invasive surveillance but because if its servers are compromised. of the personal information it holds “In no event shall Verificient for extended periods of time.

Technologies, Inc. and/or its When Pepperdine revealed plans officers, directors, employees, or to implement Proctortrack during agents, be liable to you for any the fall 2020 semester, students direct, indirect, incidental, special, were quick to accuse the system of punitive, exemplary, or consequencompromising student privacy. tial damages whatsoever resulting Sophomore Collette Jay created from any […] unauthorized access a petition to ban Proctortrack at to or use of, corruption of, inter-

ALLY ARMSTRONG | ART ASSISTANT EDITOR ference with, or alteration of our secured servers,” according to Proctortrack’s privacy policy.

Proctortrack keeps this personal information for three years but claims it does not sell the data. Jay said it is not the collecting of the information that is concerning but the holding on to it for an extended period of time.

With online hackers taking advantage of remote workers and learners during COVID-19, it is imperative that Proctortrack protects students’ privacy. In the event of a data breach, students would be left helpless.

Students should not have to

forfeit critical information to a third party organization just to take an exam.

Students at Rutgers University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology pushed to ban this system at their schools to ensure their privacy. As a result of their protests against the system, schools have banned the use of Proctortrack to administer exams. As more schools begin to implement these systems, it is important for students to hold universities accountable for the type of information they are forced to submit.

There are numerous ways students can protest the implementa-

tion of Proctortrack at Pepperdine.

Signing Jay’s petition could show the administration the seriousness of this issue. Students can reach out to their professors to discuss alternative solutions and express their concerns over the risk the system poses.

An Instagram account called “Ban ProctorTrack at Pepperdine” includes Jay’s petition as well as posts detailing specific ways the system is a threat. Spreading these posts can educate other students on the issue and influence Pepperdine’s administration to ban the system.

With plans for the spring semester in limbo, students may be forced to learn with Proctortrack.

Many students already fall prey to online companies invading their personal lives, and they should not have to be similarly exposed in their academic careers. It is important that Pepperdine bans the use of this software to protect students’ privacy and ensure they do not become victims of data theft.

SAHEJ.BHASIN@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Vote like the future of the country depends on it While Trump’s inadequate response to the fires gained quick media coverage, most Americans likely forgot, thanks to the administration’s newest aversion to science.

After months of downplaying the pandemic and ignoring his own appointed experts’ guidelines on controlling the disease, Trump and a long list of his colleagues tested positive C AR O LINE SHARPLESS for COVID-19.

Normally, an attack on a sitting president’s per spective E d itor health would inspire national unity. This, howIf the 2020 election were a normal election, ever, was impossible because the White House campaigns would be scrambling to find the would not be transparent about the details of perfect “October Surprise,” or election-althe situation. Instead, it skirted around the setering scandal. To no one’s surprise, Presiverity of the diagnosis and displayed an utter dent Donald Trump has made this election disregard for protocol. atypical in every sense of the word; as a result, For months, Trump has ignored almost Americans are drowning in headlines — each every COVID-19 guideline to convince disturbing enough to distract from the one Americans the virus is not a threat, and ever before. since his diagnosis, he has done the same.

In the span of a week, Americans received This behavior is a slap in the face to doctors, evidence that President Trump paid almost scientists and over 214,000 citizens whom this nothing in taxes, witnessed a presidential disease killed. In the process, he put hundreds debate labeled the worst in history, listened of others in danger. to a recording of the first lady cussing out After the president knew Hope Hicks, an her responsibilities toward caged immigrant adviser he had close contact with, tested poschildren and watched the grossly hypocritical itive, he and others in his circle continued to nomination of a Supreme Court Justice — all attend large events without social distancing before Trump’s super-spreader event resulted or wearing a mask. in a COVID-19 outbreak in the Republican Any person in contact with someone carryParty. ing the disease should quarantine for at least In the midst of the frenzy, people from both 14 days, according to the Centers for Disease political parties are questioning the capability Control and Prevention. of the American political system. In the Oct. 7 Many questioned whether the White “Saturday Night Live” season premiere, host House planned to hide the outbreak from the Chris Rock went as far as to suggest abolishpublic since a journalist for Bloomberg — ing the office of president altogether. not the White House — released the news of Perhaps only time can reveal whether the Hicks’ infection. system is broken past the point of no return, This claim has some legitimacy since the but one thing is certain: The Trump adminisWhite House refuses to disclose when Trump tration exhibits a blatant disregard for science, last tested negative, causing many to suspect rules and tradition, which severely comprises he knew he was infected prior to attending the sanity, security and dignity of our country. large events.

For any sense of normalcy to return to the U.S., Americans need to reflect on the true Rules No Longer Exist in the White House meanings of integrity and credibility — and vote accordingly.

The president visited 113 public events Though policy should be the central focus between his last known negative test and of an election, the urgency of the upcoming the night when he revealed his COVID-19 election has nothing to do with the Repubinfection, according to Factba.se, an online lican or Democratic platforms. Regardless database with Trump’s calendar and travel of political opinions, Americans must stand information. against all instances of gross misuse of power.

Despite upward of 20 presidential staff and Republican politicians announcing positive Thanks To Trump, Science is Now History results, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany continued to address crowds of For decades, politicians disregarded science journalists. After interacting with hundreds of by denying or downplaying climate change, people, she too tested positive. Other membut few have actively undermined scientific bers of the administration like Mike Pence fact in the way President Trump has, not only are continuing this behavior, ignoring CDC throughout his term but in the past month guidelines. Even President Trump announced alone. plans to return to the campaign trail in SanOn Sept. 14, when presented with evidence ford, Fla., despite traces of COVID-19 still concerning the fires devastating Califorappearing in his medical tests. nia, Trump said, “I don’t think the science Throughout all this chaos, it’s easy to knows.” forget that one of the most iconic women in Dismissing evidence instantly, without America, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader using concrete facts in a rebuttal, is incredibly Ginsberg, died Sept. 18. dangerous. Politicians can disagree over opinInstead of taking time to honor Ginsberg ions, but there is no fighting statistical truth. and her accomplishments as she deserved, Vice President Mike Pence made a similar many Americans were struck with panic about remark during the Vice Presidential Debate, how her death could be used against the telling Sen. Kamala Harris that she is entitled American people. to her own opinion but not her own facts.

Despite the 2016 Republican precedent Pence used these words, however, to defend that vacancies should not be filled during an one of his own false claims about Biden’s election year, Trump and his colleagues are position on fracking. When Pence and Trump racing to confirm a new justice in the next few incessantly manipulate the line between fact weeks as millions of Americans hit the polls. and truth, the U.S. loses all credibility.

This plan was ridiculous before, but it

is even more preposterous now that several members of the judiciary appointment committee have tested positive for COVID-19 and the nominee herself, Amy Coney Barrett, fits the requirements for a quarantine recommendation. Resuming meetings not only endangers other members of the senate but their staff and other service workers, as well.

In line with President Trump and his associates’ poor decision making, at the first Presidential Debate, the Trump family arrived late so they would not be tested as the rules indicated, then refused to wear their masks as they watched the debate, Fox News host and debate moderator Chris Wallace said.

Throughout the debate, which CNN host Jake Tapper described as a “hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck,” Trump refused to follow the rules his own campaign had agreed to.

Truth and Decency — Where Are They Now?

Following the debate, politicians and spectators on both sides of the aisle labeled it the worst U.S. presidential debate in history.

Much of this is due to the President’s vicious and childish behavior. He interrupted Joe Biden 145 times, according to the debate’s hosting network Fox News. Over half — 74, to be exact — of those interruptions were not aimed at Biden but at Wallace.

Aside from his behavior, much of Trump’s words were false, according to Fact-Checker Daniel Daly, who called the performance an “avalanche of lying.”

It is bad enough that a pre-debate Fox News editorial advised former Vice President Biden to “stay away from attacking racists and xenophobes.” But worse, a sitting U.S. president had to be asked on national television to confirm whether he would condemn white supremacy. The fact that this answer wasn’t an immediate “yes” should have been the only October Surprise needed to secure Trump’s loss.

Our expectations of a sitting president are now lower than ever. Normally, presidents at least attempt to stand for equality.

Yet given Trump’s history, no one was surprised when he refused multiple opportunities to answer the simple yes-or-no question. But, alas, President Trump had to set the bar even lower by calling on white supremacist group the Proud Boys and telling them to “stand back and stand by.”

Who can be proud of a country where entertaining terrorists is a shameless strategy to win an election?

The term “presidential” — once used to describe people of dignity and class — bears no resemblance to Trump, who selfishly spews hateful and divisive rhetoric every chance he gets.

Trump embarrassed the country again when he brazenly interrupted Biden’s statement on his dead, decorated war veteran son to mock Biden’s other son for a past drug addiction.

This too should not be surprising — just weeks before the debate, The Atlantic revealed that Trump also called U.S. soldiers who died in combat “losers” and “suckers.”

It is actions like these that distinguish Trump from his predecessors and tarnish the office of the president.

Despite Trump’s behavior, the role of a president is not to rule the country however they see fit. Because of the U.S. three–branch

system of government, the president does not have much legislative power. The House of Representatives writes laws, the Senate passes them and the Supreme Court upholds them. Presidents do have the power to release executive orders, though most presidents use them sparingly to respect the legislative system. The Supreme Court shot down many of Trump’s executive orders — including his recent attempt to ban TikTok — because of their unconstitutionality.

What Is the Point of Having a President?

Arguably, the most significant roles of the president are to unite and support the country, offer guidance and optimism during times of peril and represent the nation with dignity on a global level.

Instead, President Trump prides himself in pitting the American people against each other, and against the rest of the world, while devaluing truth and science in the process.

Titles like “commander in chief” and “foreign ambassador” are merely names for him to brag about, as he does not show the utmost care for these responsibilities.

The other crucial responsibility of the president is to appoint the federal bureaucracy’s top positions.

In a dictator-like fashion, presidential advisers and staff are a revolving door of Trump’s friends fired the moment they disagree with him. The remaining positions belong to none other than the president’s own children and their spouses. Trump’s never-ending replacements set century-breaking records and are a gross display of nepotism.

The U.S. has a lot of problems — this isn’t new. Unfortunately, politicians cannot focus their efforts on solving the issues voters care about. Instead, they are forced to constantly respond to the president’s chaos, scandal and corruption.

Many of the accusations Trump faces — testing positive for COVID-19 earlier than he claimed, paying only $750 in taxes over several years, committing rape — could be eliminated if he provided documentation or DNA sample to refute them. Instead, he brushes off everything as fake news.

If Trump were truly innocent and believed in truth, why not use evidence to clear his name?

While the president’s behavior is disappointing, it is sadder that Americans allow him to believe he does not have to prove his innocence in order to earn the title of president of the U.S. Now, the American people must vote to restore a sense of honor to the government.

Americans don’t have to live in a world where tweets or notifications constantly alert them of a new fright. Despite Trump’s attempts of suppression, students have a voice and can be heard through voting, volunteering, contacting politicians, creating petitions and protesting peacefully.

Vote like the future of the country depends on it — because it does. Remember this election cannot be Democrats versus Republicans; it must be America’s values of decency, honor and respect versus dishonesty, fraud and manipulation. If not, October Surprise-level headlines will prevail as a daily part of American life.

C AR OL INE.SHAR PL ESS@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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P E P P E R DINE GR A P HIC M E DIA | N E W S | O CT O B E R 1 5 , 20 20

Daniel Daugherty power walks through the pandemic in Heidelberg online.

Germany

Em ily Sh aw Lead R epo rte r In his 28th year as the Heidelberg program director, Daniel Daugherty said he has never seen International Programs suspended.

Life at Pepperdine’s first and oldest international program site has been different since its suspension in March 2020. Since then, Daugherty said he strives to find a balance between navigating the uncertainties of the pandemic and finding joy in the present.

“The story of what happened this year is unique — I’ve never had anything like it,” Daugherty said. “I’ve had crises in the past; there was 9/11, there was the Iraq War. Obviously, there were moments that were tense, but never in my career did we have to make the decision: We’re suspending a program, sending everybody home.”

When Students Left Students left Heidelberg on March 5. Daugherty said he is grateful for the University’s leadership during this time and for making the decision to suspend the program when it did.

At the time of the students’ departure, local restaurants and businesses were confused as to why the students were leaving; however, the locals quickly understood when only 11 days after the students’ departure, Germany closed its borders as COVID-19 spread throughout Europe.

“They thought we were nuts,” Daugherty said.

“They said, ‘What? You’re evacuating? Isn’t that a bit extreme?’ And those same people two, three weeks later, were telling me, ‘You were so wise to do that, at the beginning of March,’ because already mid-March, it was so bad.”

After the students left,

Books only come alive when they have readers, and I feel much the same about the Heidelberg International Program. It is when students are here that it comes alive.

Daniel Daugherty Heidelberg Program director Daugherty said he felt like nothing was changing. Then on a Saturday in March, Daugherty, his wife Karin, English Professor Julianne Smith — the faculty-in-residence — and her husband David Smith went to go see a movie together following new social distancing health measures.

A day later, the country shut down all movie theaters and, soon after, indoor dining.

Daugherty wrote in an email that the Smiths remained in Heidelberg in the faculty apartment during the pandemic until the end of the spring semester when they returned to the U.S. While in Heidelberg after the students’ departure, Julianne Smith taught her classes online, and her husband, who has experience in IT, helped the Heidelberg program transition from teaching classes in person to

Germany also closed its schools as well as shops, churches and other various entertainment and cultural sites in March, banning large gatherings. This closure, except for the schools, has extended to the end of the year.

Since July 3, travelers arriving from high-risk countries, including those coming from the U.S., may enter Germany only with compulsory testing. Starting Aug. 28, all visitors from COVID-19 hot spots must face testing and self-isolate for 14 days when entering the country.

Health authorities and government officials are also discussing the possibility of shortening the 14-day quarantine period to one week on the condition that a COVID-19 test taken after the fifth day would come out as negative. Daugherty wrote in an email the final decision on this is yet to be made.

Daugherty compared the measures taken in Germany to stricter French regulations. His mother lives in France, and he said people there have to fill out a document before going to the grocery store. He said Germany did not have a lockdown, but health authorities urged people to work from home and maintain social distancing.

Although COVID-19 infected more than 100,000 people in Germany from January to April, the country maintained a low death rate, especially compared to its neighboring countries.

Authorities’ early and widespread testing helped to slow the spread of the pandemic.

“Germany did well, relatively, because they started testing quickly,” Daugherty said.

More recently, Daugherty said the atmosphere

feels tense because in August, the number of cases rose again when more people went on vacation and crowded certain areas.

Local universities, including the University of Heidelberg, are or plan to be online for the rest of the year. Daugherty said his daughter, who studies in Marburg, is taking classes online as well.

“They’re reinforcing much stricter rules — and just a few weeks ago,” Daugherty said. “So everybody is always thinking, ‘So what’s going to be tomorrow?’”

Daugherty said although he hears people in general complain about various precautionary measures, such as social distancing and wearing masks, he sees people consistently following the guidelines when they can.

Staff and Faculty Since the end of the spring 2020 semester, Daugherty wrote in an email that he and the staff and faculty work from home, but they have had Zoom meetings.

Since the end of June, when the number of infections per day declined and Germany began reopening, the faculty and staff have met in person only a few times while wearing masks and social distancing in Heidelberg Hall, the program’s largest classroom.

The administrative staff also meets once a month in the Moore Haus Reception Room while following all safety procedures required by law in Germany, Daugherty wrote in an email.

“Heidelberg is a real team program,” Daugherty said. “I’ve been there for 28 years now, so we all know each other well, and we’re just used to being together a lot.”

This semester, three of the Heidelberg Program’s

adjunct professors teach Pepperdine courses online, Daugherty wrote in an email.

Without students in Heidelberg, Daugherty — who also teaches literature — said the empty classrooms and Moore Haus saddens the program faculty and staff.

“Books only come alive when they have readers, and I feel much the same about the Heidelberg International Program,” Daugherty wrote in an email. “It is when students are here that it comes alive, and the Heidelberg faculty and staff miss the presence of students tremendously.”

Heidelberg Academic Coordinator Christina Wuttke wrote in an email that the staff and faculty thrive on witnessing students’ intellectual and personal growth while studying abroad in Heidelberg. She hopes they will welcome students in Moore Haus again soon.

“Not having students in the Heidelberg Program feels like missing our purpose,” Wuttke wrote.

Martina Drefs, Heidelberg Program assistant, wrote in an email that she finds joy in and misses sharing students’ life-changing experiences of studying abroad.

“Every time when students arrive in Heidelberg, there is magic in the air,” Drefs wrote. “Moore Haus is dressed up, the fridges are filled with tons of food, the pantry overflows with cereals. We, the staff, are so excited, but we have to wait!

Finally, the relieving phone call from Herr D, ‘The eagle has landed!’”

This semester, Daugherty said his job has changed from primarily teaching, interacting with and planning programs for students to focusing more on preparing for spring 2021 and working on curriculum and other various projects.

“All of our efforts are

geared at ensuring students can return to Heidelberg in a safe environment as soon as possible and enjoy the wonders of Heidelberg,” Daugherty wrote in an email.

Finding Joy in the Present When he’s not busy working, Daugherty said he is intentional about finding a healthy balance during this new normal by going on walks and playing music. He values staying active, and he does so by Nordic walking, for which uses specially designed walking poles, Daugherty said.

“You’re walking with the sticks basically as if it were in snow,” Daugherty said.

“It really makes you move your upper body, and then you just power through, and it’s quite exhausting.”

One of Daugherty’s greatest pleasures includes enjoying live music, but with many concerts postponed or canceled, he said he also finds joy in playing guitar and singing.

Daugherty said his wish for students is that life will soon allow them to go back to pursuing their passions without having to constantly worry about their health.

“We really feel for you guys, and we hope things will get back to a certain normalcy, so you can have those times where you’re playing music together, when you’re in the dorms together, when you’re having fun together doing sports. I’m sure you’re missing that a lot, and so that’s my prayer,” Daugherty said.

EM ILY.SHAW @PEPPER DINE.EDU

Email: sPP petition shocks pepp community F R OM A 1 Some historians criticized the project for for historical inaccuracies, specifically the American colonists’ desire for independence from Britain stemmed from preserving slaveholding and that capitalism is modeled after plantation slavery, but the project editor, Nikole Hannah Jones, stands by her work nonetheless.

Those who sign the petition “stand with Pepperdine School of Public Policy in fighting against the leftist indoctrination of students by biased coursework,” according to the petition.

“We are not going to send out another email like the one that went out ever again,” Peterson said. “But are we going to continue to critique the state of civics education and The 1619 Project as civics education.”

Pepperdine’s Reaction Tuesday, one day after the email went out, Provost Rick Marrs provided the University’s statement on the petition to the Graphic via email.

“We recently learned of the School of Public Policy’s participation in a marketing campaign executed by a third-party vendor,” Marrs wrote. “The University was neither aware of nor did we give approval to the marketing materials prior to distribution. At this time, my office is working diligently and as quickly as possible to assess the school’s involvement in the campaign, which has been suspended and will not be resumed.”

Peterson said he agrees with President Jim Gash and Provost Rick Marrs’ opinion that all messaging from the five Pepperdine schools, even those sent through third-party agencies, need to follow the University process.

Pepperdine is in the midst of searching for a new Chief Diversity Officer to lead diversity and inclusion measures at all levels of the University. Seaver College also plans to incorporate a cultural competence component in the General Education program.

Pepperdine community members, such as Seaver History Professor Loretta Hunnicutt, expressed shock

at the petition, both in its content and language. Hunnicutt said she disagreed with the petition’s stance and also with the polemic language used.

“It’s problematic on a number of levels,” Hunnicutt, “I personally don’t think it’s the way I would want to go as a University. [...] I want us to do everything we can to certainly speak our values but to do so in a way that’s respectful of all people.”

In her classroom, Hunnicutt used The 1619 Project as a debate piece because she views the material as a conversation starter as opposed to objective history.

“It was meant to be a debate starter and a different take on American history, but it’s threatening to some people, I think, that what they were taught might not be the whole story,” Hunnicutt said.

Hunnicutt said she believes in the value of having a wide array of courses available to to teach history to challenge people’s thinking.

“I don’t know that I would agree with everything that’s in [The 1619 Project], but

I very much object to calling it leftist indoctrination,” Hunnicutt said. “It left us to want to wrestle with slavery.

You could say maybe [Hannah Jones] claims too much.

Did she exaggerate the impact? Maybe. But it’s not indoctrination to talk about a really complex issue and say we haven’t appreciated how complex it is.”

Peterson and Ethnic Curriculum Peterson vocally opposes ethnic and other racially charged curriculum — specifically new California legislation for ethnic studies in schools — and spoke on The Eric Metaxas Radio Show about the subject Sept. 3.

The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum is a requirement for California public schools passed via California Assembly Bill 331, which necessitates high school students to pass an ethnic studies course to graduate.

The course will “examine the history, culture, politics, contributions and prejudices facing ethnic and racial ethnic groups nationwide,” according to EdSource.

Some like Peterson, however, believe this new course is anti-American and seeks to frame the United States in a negative light.

“Our nation’s children have received a biased ‘education’ for an entire generation — from high school through college — so it should come as no surprise to us that we see thousands of young adults rioting in the streets, burning our nation’s cities, and toppling historic monuments,” according to Peterson’s email.

In his interview with Eric Metaxas, Peterson compared the new course requirement to The New York Times Magazine’s 1619 project curriculum and criticized the project for its perspective on capitalism as a “systemic regime.”

The email claims “the left” is pushing for The 1619 Project to be included as a history curriculum component in schools nationally.

“The left is doubling down by pushing to make The New York Times’ radical ‘1619 Project’ a component of history curriculum at all levels of education in American schools,” accord-

ing to Peterson’s email. “It’s a poisonous narrative, and one rooted in pure left-wing fantasy.”

The Pulitzer Center and The New York Times Magazine developed a curriculum for teachers looking to include aspects of The 1619 Project into their classrooms.

More than 4,500 schools nationwide have adopted the curriculum, including some public school districts in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Buffalo, N.Y. No requirements are in place at the schools for these faculty to teach the material or include every part of the program.

“If you believe that America’s students need to learn about true American history, about how great this country is, and how our Founders fought to give us the freedoms we enjoy — I urge you to sign the National Petition in Support of True American History,” according to Peterson’s email.“

ASHL EY.M OW R EADER @PEPPER DINE.EDU

October 15, 2020

The Graphic

pepp e rd in e - g ra p h ic.co m

LIFE & ARTS

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Alum aims to inspire LGBTQ+ acceptance C hr ist in Kar r Lif e & Ar ts Ass i s ta n t Alumnus Blake Knight (2009) spends his days writing screenplays, playing with his dogs and inspiring acceptance for all.

He’s a screenwriter for film and television in Los Angeles. He and his fiance Garret Clayton created their LGBTQ+ YouTube channel “A Gay in the Life” in July.

“We wanted it to be a platform that allowed people with voices who might be in more marginalized areas or where they just may not have a platform to do that to kind of speak out,” Knight said. “We really wanted to normalize queer relationships.”

Knight said he wanted to create a safe space where queer individuals from all walks of life had the freedom to express themselves.

He created “A Gay in the Life” to further normalize the queer community. In addition to providing informational and inspirational content, Knight and Clayton also post more lighthearted content like fun date night ideas. The episodes are about 10-20 minutes each and often feature special guests who talk about their own stories in the LGBTQ+ community.

“Queer people from all over the world have different perspectives on what growing up as queer in their country [was like],” Knight said. “Someone who is growing up as trans in the Philippines might have a completely different experience as someone who’s trans in New York City.”

Knight said he and Clayton want to encapsulate those key differences and help shed light on the challenges queer people

Say Cheese | Knight gives Clayton a piggy back ride near Aneé Atelier in Palm Beach, Fla. in March. In July, the couple created an LGBTQ+ YouTube channel titled “A Gay in the Life.” face. Knight said he’d like “A Gay in the Life” to be a resource for queer people, which is why they provide references to other organizations geared toward helping people in the queer community.

“We have a lot of young people saying, ‘I’m 14 years old and I’m gay, but I live in small-town Wisconsin, and I know that my family’s not going to accept me.

What should I do?’” Knight said.

Knight is engaged to “Teen Beach” Disney Movie star Garrett Clayton, who already had a large fanbase prior to starting the Youtube channel. Knight said Clayton was in the closet during the filming of the “Teen Beach” movies under the suggestion of people in the industry.

“After he came out, he

started getting a lot of messages from young queer people saying, ‘Thank you so much for being out and being proud and basically giving us hope for what our lives could turn into,’” Knight said.

Knight and Clayton met in 2011, and neither could’ve predicted they would be where they are now in their relationship.

They first met in a diner where Clayton was working as a server, and Knight was working as an assistant for an executive that frequented the diner.

Kight said they couldn’t have imagined a world where it was acceptable to be in a healthy long-term relationship with someone of the same sex, and they are excited to be married.

Knight said he originally went to Pepperdine with

Samantha Miller | STAFF artist the mentality of it being a religious school that could help him figure out his sexuality that he had struggled to accept. “[I thought I’d] pray the gay away, and I thought that was the thing that I was supposed to do,” Knight said. “But then I got there, and my freshman suite was full of lots of really hot gay guys.”

Knight said he didn’t expect that Pepperdine would be the place where he’d feel safe enough to be who he was freely and openly.

“I was very concerned that my being out would not be widely accepted,” Knight said. “I grew up in Texas also, and that was a huge concern that a lot of my family members would not be on board, and it kind of went as expected.

They were very shocked.”

Photos courtesy of blake knight True Love | Knight proposes to his fiance Garret Clayton on Jan. 10, 2017, in Iceland. Knight graduated from Pepperdine in 2009 and met Clayton in 2011 at a diner where Clayton worked.

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Music Dept. plays on during online semester B et h Gonzales S taf f write r Pepperdine’s Music Department spends their time around campus trying to provide concerts rooted in emotional and immersive performances, and the department is attempting to showcase these traits as they offer performances to their audience over Zoom.

The Music Department offers various activities in the world of performing arts, such as opera, choir, classical guitar, instrumental ensembles and music composition.

While all students navigate remote learning at Pepperdine due to COVID-19, music students continue to have critiqued performances, concerts and private lessons.

“When you acknowledge there are natural and incredibly beautiful harmonies that we could be engaging in rather than all this negativity that’s going around, I think that those are powerful moments,” said Malone Blaich, senior Music major with an emphasis in vocal performance. “Those are the things I try to hold onto.”

Choir Director of Choral Activities Ryan Board said the choirs are planning to prerecord a concert and produce an a cappella Christmas album. The pre-recorded rehearsal will be live-streamed Oct. 30 and will function as the regular fall concert. Board wrote in an email that the performances will be accessible through the department’s social media pages.

“By the time you are done, the online performances look pretty inspiring, but the process is pretty different and much more cumbersome,” Board said. “It feels more like a production rather than an artistic experience.

Board said the process of pre-recorded performances starts with him silently conducting a piece of music on video. He then shares it with the piano accompanist, who plays the choir’s various parts. Finally, the accompanist sends the video to the students who individually record themselves singing their vocal part, and Board complies it into a master file.

“It is the best way we can recreate the experience of that creative impulse that comes

Photo courtesy of haily watson Strike a Pose| The members of the Chamber Choir hold hands during fall 2019 as they prepare for the official 2020 summer Prague Choral Festival in Prague, Czech Republic. Due to COVID-19, however, the choir was not able to make it this summer, but the singers said they hope to travel and participate in summer 2021. when you are signing with a group,” Board said. “It is the only way to figure out how to get all the tempos and cut-offs together.”

Board said the choir also hopes to start composing and recording an entirely virtual Christmas album.

“We will post it on YouTube, and people can listen to it throughout the Christmas season as sort of a little gift to the Pepperdine community,” Board said.

Board said his students are working extremely hard, but deep down, they know the essential elements of performing — such as spontaneity — cannot be recreated.

“I am kind of a positive-oriented, findthe-silver-lining-in-everything kind of person, and I will admit it has still been tough,” Board said.

Private Lessons Liam Nixon, senior Music major and chamber choir singer, said he chose Pepperdine solely because of the music faculty.

gabby digiovanni| STAFF artist SE E m u si c, B 3

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Runner seeks vocation through community S a m to r r e L ife & Ar t s assi stant

Fresh Faces features first-year and transfer students to unite Pepperdine students, regardless of where they are.

Traveler plans to adventure abroad at Pepperdine sam t o r r e lif e & ar ts as si sta n t First-year Beryl Humato said he loves to travel internationally from where he resides in Jakarta, Indonesia. He chose the International Business major because of his love for traveling.

“I like traveling around the world — experiencing different cultures, especially trying other national dishes and how they use different plants and animals to create something new and specific that I have not experienced yet in Indonesia,” Humato said.

Humato said he found the idea of a Business major intriguing in high school; however, he chose International Business because it would give him a chance to experience cultures different from his own. Wanting to connect with different cultures is something Humato said drew him Pepperdine.

“I want to meet new friends from all over the world, and Pepperdine has a large international presence — like a diverse group of people, and people from parts of the United States that I have not experienced,” Humato said.

Humato said his dream job is to be the CEO of a business where he can still take joy in traveling around the world. When he was younger, his father would bring him and his family along on international business trips, giving Humato a taste of other cultures.

“I hope that I can travel around the world and meet with business partners all over the world, so in my business trips, I can experience and visit new places,” Humato said.

Humato said he also enjoys travel because it presents him with the opportunity to learn about other parts of the world from those who live there.

“It gives me a new perspective about how other people live and other societies,” Humato said.

One of Humato’s favorite places to travel is Japan.

He said he enjoyed the country because of its considerate culture — and the delicious food.

“They respected people’s privacy,” Humato said. “And if they were sick they would always use face masks even long before COVID-19, and even if they were not required to wear a face mask, they do it out of respect.”

Humato has traveled to many different places, so

Photos Courtesy of Brianna cannon

Photo Courtesy of beryl humato World Traveler| Traveler Beryl Humato poses on top of Charles Bridge in Prague, Czek Republic, in December 2019. The first-year said he received his acceptance email from Pepperdine while on the historic bridge. he appreciates the melding of different cultures and the understanding that it brings.

“Another location I love is Singapore because it’s like an amalgamation of many cultures: India, Indonesia, Chinese, Japanese,” Humato said. “All these people come together, they amalgamate and create Singapore.”

As a result of his appreciation for travel, Humato said he is excited to study abroad when he is able.

When he does go abroad, Humato said his first choice is Florence, Italy. He has traveled to Florence before and said his experience was extremely positive, as the people there were very polite and the country was safe.

“My main takeaway from Florence is that they have the best food of all the places in the world that I have visited,” Humato said.

“I love Italian cuisine, especially the pasta.”

Humato said he wants to get a more in-depth view of Florence as someone living there.

“It would give me a new perspective, as I would be visiting there not as a tourist but actually as a student learning the culture,” Humato said.

While attending Pepperdine, Humato said he hopes to join the International Student Ambassador program.

“I’d like to join an organization that helps students from my home country apply to Pepperdine, so they

could have a sense of home in the United States,” Humato said.

Humato said one struggle he faced adjusting to Pepperdine was dealing with the large time zone difference between his current location in Indonesia and the Malibu campus.

“For example, my math class is 4 a.m. in the morning, so it actually is a difficulty, but I still try to keep up with the tests given,” Humato said.

The University, however, has helped him work around the 4 a.m. classes and other challenges by giving him class recordings and extended time on assignments.

When he does get to Malibu, Humato said he wants to continue taking part in basketball clubs such as Pepperdine’s Intramural Basketball team.

For Humato, a large draw to attending college in the U.S. was the basketball culture.

“I would like to experience playing pick-up basketball in Venice Beach, or Rucker Park in New York, as I know they are really competitive and it’s just a new experience to me,” Humato said.

Humato said he is also excited to meet some of the people he has only interacted with online.

“I want to connect with different people and also find people who are from my hometown in Indonesia in Pepperdine,” Humato said.

S A M.T O RRE @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

First-year Business Administration major Madilyn Henshaw from Arlington, Va., said she is ready for the chance to utilize her college experience to find her calling.

“I want to learn something that makes me think, ‘Oh yeah, I want to do that for a career,’” Henshaw said.

Coming from a large high school, Henshaw said Pepperdine’s small class size drew her to the University.

“You get to know your professors more than through an academic standard — academically and personally,” Henshaw said.

Henshaw said she hopes she can utilize the smaller class size to more easily build relationships with both students and professors. While she is not sure what her calling is yet, this potential for mentorship gives her space to find it.

“I honestly don’t even know what my dream job is,” Henshaw said. “I have no idea what career path I want to follow, and I’m hoping I’ll take a class that’ll really spark my interest in something.”

Henshaw said one way she plans to find her calling is through International Programs. She is in the process of applying, and her top program is Lausanne, Switzerland.

“I’ve talked to a couple of people who have gone abroad to Lausanne, and they all absolutely loved it and they made me really want to go too,” Henshaw said. “Lausanne is the perfect combination of the outdoors and city life. It is also in the middle of Europe, which makes it easy to travel to other places.”

Another top choice of Henshaw’s is the Florence, Italy program.

“Florence was my second choice because I’ve been there before so I know how beautiful the city is, but I’ve never been to Switzerland,” Henshaw said.

Henshaw is also on Pepperdine’s track team as a sprinter; she runs the 400m. Henshaw ran as a sprinter in high school before coming to Pepperdine.

“My teammates were definitely my favorite part of high school track,” Henshaw said. “I love the bond that you create with your teammates while pushing yourselves to your limits and then being able to see the results of your hard work out on the track.”

Additionally, Henshaw recently joined Pi Beta Phi, a sorority dedicated to friendship and community service. She said she hopes the upper-level students in the sorority will offer her insight into choosing a vocation that inspires her.

“It’s a fun way to meet older Pepperdine girls and form relationships with them before even getting on campus,” Henshaw said.

Photos Courtesy of madilyn henshaw Malibu Bound | (Above) Firstyear Madilyn Henshaw poses outside of the Washington Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Business Administration major said she looks forward to studying abroad in Lausanne, Switzerland, or Florence, Italy. (Below) Henshaw smiles in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. When she gets to Malibu, she said she is thrilled to spend time at the many beaches near Pepperdine.

Henshaw is eager for the chance to interact with Pepperdine students face to face— not just through a screen.

“I’m excited to just meet people,” Henshaw said. “It’s hard to do that on Zoom, I feel, just to meet people and to build those friendships and actually get to know the professors.”

SAM .TOR R E@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Spiritual leader excited to grow in faith in Malibu S a m To r r e L ife & Ar t s assi stant First-year Christopher Ganey said Pepperdine’s Christian identity drew him to the University.

He said he first heard of Pepperdine when he visited his aunt and uncle in California, as they drove past the campus on his way from the airport.

“My faith is really important to me, so that kind of led to it too where I was like, ‘Wow, beautiful campus, it’s Christian, so it kind of checks all the boxes for me,’” Ganey said.

Ganey is very involved in his home church in Ashburn, Va. While the churches themselves may be smaller than his home church of a couple thousand people, he said he hopes to continue being involved in his faith while in Malibu.

“I lead a group of sixth-grade boys, like a small group, and that’s something I’m really passionate about,” Ganey said.

Ganey said he has already attended virtual worship at some of the other churches in Malibu, hoping to get a feel for where he wants to attend in the fall.

“I found a really good group at Calvary Chapel Malibu,” Ganey said.

In addition to exploring his faith, Ganey is also starting his first year of Pepperdine’s business program. As a Business Administration major, Ganey said he wants to get an MBA. Though he is not completely sure about his career path, Ganey said he enjoys working with others and hopes the MBA will give him the necessary opportunities.

“I think the MBA is a really strong degree that is going to open a lot of pathways for me,” Ganey said.

Ganey said one goal he is working toward is to purchase property by the time he graduates Pepperdine, as real estate has been an interest of his for some time.

“Obviously, It’s going to be very difficult with my student loans, but I’m working on ways to [afford it]” Ganey said. “I’m pretty good at managing my money, and I’m working a lot right now.”

Photo Courtesy of christopher ganey Lake Day| Ganey and his sister Ashley hang out on their grandpa’s boat in North Carolina. The first-year represented his university by wearing a Pepperdine hat.

Currently, Ganey is studying in his hometown. Ganey said he has not undergone a large adjustment between his senior year of high school and this semester. The main difference, however, is that many of his friends were able to return to their respective campuses on the East Coast and in the South.

“It’s kind of a blessing in disguise; it’s allowed me to work a ton,” Ganey said.

“Not that I didn’t before, but I don’t really have an excuse not to work now — there’s nobody around to hang out with.”

Ganey said he has been working and enjoying the time he is able to spend with his family.

When in-person classes begin, Ganey said he is excited to reside near the ocean, despite how much he loves Virginia.

“There’s nothing like fall here — the leaves change colors, and it’s really beautiful,” Ganey said. “But I’m definitely looking forward to a change of pace — definitely a new adventure on the West Coast.”

SAM .TOR R E@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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ALUMNUS: Writer uses entertainment to teach F R OM B 1 Shortly before Knight came out, he said he had to come to terms with being gay and understand that it’s OK. He also wanted to emphasize communication with those around him during that time.

“I had to realize like, ‘Oh, this is who I am, and if other people don’t accept it, that’s OK with me,’” Knight said. “I can try and talk to them and communicate my message to them, and if that works, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t, but all I can do is just be a good person.”

Knight said he originally came out during his junior year at Pepperdine. He was the president of Sigma Phi Epsilon from 2008 to 2009. He said his brothers and the community accepted him. Knight said SigEp was the one of the first fraternity in the US to openly welcome LGBTQ+ members.

According to a graduate study on the Perceptions of Transgender Students in Social Fraternities and Sororities, the fraternity is known as the first fraternity recognized

by NorthAmerican Interfraternity Conference (NIC) to make a statement of inclusivity of transgender brothers. Today, Knight has continued his involvement in leadership programs for his fraternity.

“I had a really amazing, positive experience,” Knight said. “I had a lot of people coming to me saying that they’re really proud that I had come out and that they were there to support me.”

Knight said during his time at Pepperdine, there was no official club for queer people due to the University’s policies. Nonetheless, queer people founded an unofficial nameless gathering of their own where they would spend time together in a supportive environment.

“I kind of had a come-to-Jesus moment with myself where I was

Courtesy of Kendall Ross

Photos Courtesy of Blake Knight Happy Couple| (Left) Blake Knight and Garret Clayton cuddle with their two dogs. Knight said he enjoys spending time with his dogs, as well as screenwriting. (Right) The happy couple poses in front of the Disneyland castle. Clayton, Knight’s fiance, is a Disney star from the Disney original movie “Teen Beach Movie.” very happy knowing that I was gay,” Knight said. “I was in a place where I was knowing this about myself and not struggling with it.”

Throughout his collegiate career at Pepperdine, Knight said he felt he was able to explore a lot of his interests, especially in screenwriting. He had multiple professors who helped cultivate his love of screenwriting, which ultimately led to his decision to pursue a career in that field.

“You can write something and put it on screen and when people around the world watch it, it can literally change their minds about certain issues and things for the better,” Knight said.

Knight said the power to change hearts and minds comes with the territory of storytelling in general.

“I remember when I was younger seeing my mom watch ‘Will and Grace’ and laughing along to this show that was being syndicated

across the country,” Knight said.

“It was normalizing gay characters or queer characters in homes all across America.”

Knight said the influence of TV shows and movies can become a beacon of hope for those who are otherwise hopeless; normalizing something that has been a point of controversy helps to defuse some of the tension surrounding the topic.

Knight said a lot of the television we watch on a daily or weekly basis can shift our thought process to be more productive in a society that’s constantly evolving.

“It just affects the way that you think about relationships in general,” Knight said. “You might just be more open to what their experiences are too. I think that’s kind of magical.”

Knight said he’s pitching more scripts now than ever. Though there’s a lot of new challenges to filmmaking in light of the pandem-

ic, the writing side is still active.

He has worked on an educational show called “This Just In,” which illustrates moral lessons for middle schoolers.

Knight said he also has a tutoring business where he helps K-12 children succeed in their academic endeavors.

“It’s just really rewarding to see how these young people grow and to know that you’re there to mentor them and to help them,” Knight said. “And a lot of the time, it’s not even about doing math. It’s, ‘Oh, what happened at school today? I can tell you’re upset. Do you want to talk about it?’”

Knight said he enjoys working with children and helping them grow not only in their education but also on a personal level.

“I think melding storytelling in education is very important,” Knight said. “It’s teaching them in a way that they don’t even know

they’re being taught, and they’re also being entertained.”

Looking back on his experience at Pepperdine, Knight said his four years there involved many formative and surprising experiences. He never would’ve expected the loving community that welcomed him with open arms when he first came out as gay to his friends and family.

“The community is so loving,” Knight said. “I think that does have to do with the Christian background of a lot of the students there — and I’m saying that now as someone who does not consider himself Christian. I think that says a lot about the student body.”

C HR ISTIN.K AR R @PEPPER DINE.EDU

MUSIC: Artists find new ways to share their music F R OM B 1 “They made such a great impression, and I really wanted to learn from them,” Nixon said.

Nixon said the music faculty are doing the best they can. He thinks classes and lessons are working out quite well; he appreciates that when Pepperdine had to continue online, the music faculty opened communication with their students and coordinated realistic plans for their education.

Nixon said a big part of this plan was the decision to hold private voice lessons on Zoom. The student and professor use Zoom for face-to-face lessons, then they mute the Zoom audio and use Cleanfeed, a multitrack recording assistant, to practice with better audio quality.

“It is not required but definitely encouraged that majors and minors have pretty good sound equipment,” Malone said. “I had to drop a pretty penny on some audio interfacing, some microphones and an ethernet cable.”

The students learn a song that their professors send to them, then they sing it for their professors and work on vocal technique one on one.

“I’ve had a lot of success in my lessons so far,” Nixon said. “I was really shocked because I was really hesitant when this first hit.”

Nixon also said the music students watch pre-recorded performances of each other every week.

“It’s definitely my favorite part of the week, just getting to stay and watch my friends perform,” said Haily Watson, senior Liberal Arts major with a music emphasis.

Opera Watson is a part of this year’s Pepperdine Opera cast. She said they just started last week and are learning how Zoom will work for this ensemble, including single postings and no group rehearsals.

“It’s kind of more ‘do the work on your own’ because over Zoom, you can’t all sing together; it doesn’t work like that — there’s a lot of technical difficulties,” Watson said.

“The music faculty has been very understanding.”

Watson said remote schooling has proven to be more rigorous than expected. She said it requires more self-initiative, such as learning the musical piece on her own, recording it with her equipment and sending it to her professor by the end of the week.

Community With all the twists and turns the online semester has handed the music department, Sakeenah Godfrey, sophomore Vocal Performance major, said she understands how hard the faculty is working and appreciates all the help they are offering.

For example, Godfrey said the faculty sent her a mini keyboard so she could practice for keyboard exams since students no longer have access to any school instruments. While some students doubt the online performance experience, Godfrey has a different viewpoint.

“My favorite part of online school, by far, is that I have to deal with fewer nerves,” Godfrey said. “It’s nice to just be able to turn in my best take of a performance.”

Photo Courtesy Of Georgr Preston Iv

Guitar Department Christopher Parkening, music professor and chair of the Guitar Department, said he is teaching classical guitar through private lessons and ensemble and performance skill classes — all via FaceTime or Zoom.

Parkening said pre-recorded guitar performances occur once per month, and he enjoys seeing his students relaxed during their performances.

“My favorite part about teaching remotely is that I see the student in their comfortable homes,” Parkening said. “In some ways, they are less nervous about performing.”

Music School Central ranked Pepperdine’s Guitar Department No. 1 in “The Ten Very Best Colleges for Classical Guitar Performance.” Parkening said his students are preparing for a master class, attending studio class every Wednesday and working to record and perform professionally.

Artistic Importance While all the music faculty and students said they hope to return in the spring, they

Photos Courtesy of Malone Blaich Lovely Vocals | In Valencia, Spain on June 11, 2019 Malone Blaich, senior music major, sings the operatta “Je t’aime” from “Les Trois Valses” by Oscar Straus. Malone said there is no Concert Choir this semester, just Chamber Choir with some sections and different groups. are not slowing down with producing content for everyone to enjoy this semester.

“When I am engaging with music, when I am performing, when I am performing with other people, when we are kind of doing the thing that is making music, I feel the closest that I can feel to God,” Malone said.

Even amidst the occasional lost Wi-Fi, challenging new equipment and hours on Final Cut Pro, Watson said she feels the work is worth it because music and love

are very similar; neither can be shaken nor moved.

Watson said the Pepperdine music program has made her and her colleagues fall deeper in love with music.

“I’m excited to go out into the world and perform because I feel like my voice can do something unique and do something that is special — and not for me but for other people,” Watson said.

BETH.GONZAL ES@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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october 15, 2020

The Graphic

pep p e rd in e - g ra p h ic.co m

SPORTS

Where are they now? Dave Wieczorek runs his own career Paxt o n r ic hey a s s i stant s por ts e dit or Among the storied ranks of the five-time title-winning Pepperdine Men’s Volleyball program, Dave Wieczorek’s accomplishments more than hold their own.

Wieczorek was a threetime All-American and two-time Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MSPF) Conference Player of the Year during his time as a Wave. His 1,300 career kills rank 12th all-time at Pepperdine, and his 133 career service aces are sixth-best in program history.

Since graduating from Pepperdine in 2019, Wieczorek has gone on to establish a professional career playing in Germany, working his way up to earn a roster spot on one of the country’s most popular teams and an extended look with the United States National Photo COURTESY OF Dave Wieczorek Photo by ali levens Team.

In the fourth install- On His Own Abroad| Wieczorek (left) poses with teammate Jalen Penrose in front of the net in their lederhosen jerseys ment of the “Where Are while playing in Munich’s Audi Dome in September. The lederhosen jerseys became popular in the volleyball community They Now?” series featuracross Europe. Wieczorek (right) smiles from the balcony of his apartnment in Munich, Germany. Wieczorek signed with a ing former Pepperdine student-athletes, the Graphic new team, the WWK Herrsching Volleys, for the upcoming 2020-2021 season. caught up with Wieczorek er to a lower-level team to the community,” Wieczorek with some of his German in Munich, where he is en- make a quick commission. said. “You see kids walking teammates, but he has nojoying life in Europe and During the pandemic, there around in the lederhosen ticed some major differencadjusting to becoming a can be even greater conse- jerseys on the street. Our es, such as diet. minor celebrity. Previous quences. coach is great about giving “Bread, bread and beer installments covered Men’s “There are worse scenar- back to the community as — that’s their go-to,” WiecBasketball all-time leading ios,” Wieczorek said. “A lot well. We have a huge fan zorek said. “All my teamscorer Stacy Davis, beach of guys I know this year are base, and we’ve won over mates are like, ‘Yeah, I’ll volleyball pro Kelley Lars- still at home, looking for a our city.” probably just have a pretzel en and Reds minor leaguer team. Their agents said, ‘I As he spends more time before the game.’ All they Quincy McAfee. have this, this and this,’ and on the roster, Wieczorek eat are pretzels. I don’t Despite being born in then all of a sudden, they said he has started to get know how they survive.

Chicago, Ill., Wieczorek don’t talk to you or respond recognized more and more Me, I’m big on fish, chicksaid Pepperdine was his to you. The professional as- on the street or at the gym. en, spaghetti — all the good dream school from a young pect of the agent world in “I was in some German American classics.” age, in large part due to leg- volleyball is lacking.” town getting physical therWhile Wieczorek enjoys endary Waves Head Coach After one year of what he apy, and someone shouts, his time in Germany, he Emeritus Marv Dunphy. called a “bad experience” ‘Volleyball! You play for the does have his eyes on bigger “If Marv was coaching with the Helios Giesen Volleys,’” Wieczorek said. goals. He said he would like in Alaska, I would’ve went,” Grizzlies, Wieczorek fired “I have no idea who these to play in Poland or Russia, Photo COURTESY OF Dave Wieczorek Wieczorek said. his agent, began to repre- people are, but they’re su- which have more competiWieczorek was in the sent himself and agreed per friendly, so it’s kind of tive leagues. He also looks program for three years, to a deal with the WWK cool.” to make an impact with the including a redshirt year, Herrsching Volleys.

Playing for the Volleys U.S. National Team. Wiec- Professional Perks | Wieczorek shows off his before Dunphy retired in While they have never has perks other than minor zorek began training with BMW in Munich in September. Wieczorek’s 2017. Wieczorek played finished higher than fifth street fame. BMW spon- the senior national team team gave every player a brand new car from his final two seasons un- in their top-flight history, sors the the Volleys, and during summers in college, one of the team’s sponsors der Coach David Hunt. He Herrsching is still one of the team gifted Wieczorek and he made the prelimisaid his time at Pepperdine the more popular franchis- a new car upon joining the nary training camp roster “I think it’s feasible,” seems like yesterday. es in Germany and the big- club. this year for the upcoming Wieczorek said. “I think “It’s hard to say, ‘I’m not gest club in the surroundAfter spending a year Olympics. it’s possible — otherwise a Wave anymore,’” Wiec- ing areas of Munich. They and a half in Germany, Wieczorek said due to I’d be home right now.”zorek said. “I for sure miss are known to many more Wieczorek said the culture the players in front of him, that. I owe a lot to Marv, I volleyball fans, however, for is an easy transition, but he he probably will not make owe a lot to my parents and their unique uniforms. still hasn’t been able to pick the Olympic team this time, PAX TON.R ITC HEY@PEPPER DINE.EDU just my hard work. It all “We are notorious for up the language. The club as he is one of the youngstarted at Pepperdine with the lederhosen jerseys in paid for Wieczorek to take est players on the nationthe dream of playing here, Europe,” Wieczorek said. a language course, but it al team roster. Down the and I was lucky to have a “Our coach made it up one didn’t help. road, however, Wieczorek really great career.” day, and I guess it’s a huge “We took lessons and said there is a path to a spot Wieczorek said Europe- hit across Germany.” learned all these rules,” on the team. an agents started reaching Professional volleyball is Wieczorek said. “Then Many volleyball players out to him after the 2019 a significant part of Ger- on the last day, they said, want to play in the OlymFinal Four, in which Pep- man culture. Wieczorek ‘There are no rules in pics, but Wieczorek said the perdine lost in the nation- said he regularly plays in German — you just speak physical and mental toll a al semifinals. He soon dis- front of a few thousand fans it.’ It’s chaos. There is no professional career takes covered that the process and has seen up to 7,000 at method to the madness often burn out successful of finding a pro team was games in Berlin. He also with German.” college players. messier than it seemed. said the fans do their part Fortunately, Wieczorek “It takes a lot of hard “To be honest, it’s kind to get involved, banging is able to get away with us- work,” Wieczorek said. “It’s of a nightmare,” Wieczorek drums, blowing on horns ing English. hard to live overseas, and said. “There are a lot of — and singing songs.

“Most everyone in Ger- it’s hard to be away from for lack of a better term — “The people are just into many speaks English, espe- family. How do you handle snakes in the grass, people it, and the atmosphere is cially the younger people,” all the stress and negativity, who will try to take advan- electric,” Wieczorek said.

Wieczorek said. “Our prac- the sacrifices that people tage of you.”

Wieczorek said just as tices are run in half Ger- don’t see?”

Photo COURTESY OF Davefans Wieczorek Wieczorek said agents most sports feel a man and half English, so I While he doesn’t want often make promises of of- strong association to their pick up on key phrases, but to take anything for grantfers that don’t come to fru- hometown teams, love for for the most part, it’s all ed, Wieczorek said he still ition. Once a player signs the club isn’t just restricted English.” has a firm belief in his goal with an agent, the agent to game time.

Wieczorek said he has al- to compete in a couple of sometimes signs the play“Our club is very into ready made lifelong friends Olympic Games.

P E P P E R DINE GR A P HIC M E DIA | S PORTS | O C T O B E R 1 5 , 20 20

waves back in action

Men’s Golf dominates opening event against WCC competition aust in hall s taf f w r i ter After a bitter end to the 2019–2020 season and a flash of potential at the U.S. Amateur Tournament, Pepperdine Men’s Golf started its preseason with a statement win against familiar West Coast Conference foes.

Forty-one players participated at The Club at Pasadera, a narrow and hilly course that isn’t as long as Pepperdine’s regular practice grounds of Sherwood Country Club. Of the 41 players, every one of the top five finishers were Waves. Pepperdine also accounted for seven of the top 10 scores.

Every member of the Waves’ 10-man roster finished in the top 17 with a score of 2 under or better. As a team, the Waves were 46 under — 28 strokes ahead of second-place Loyola Marymount.

“In the past, we were always building to get to that number-one ranking,” fifthyear Joshua McCarthy said.

“Now that we’re there, we’re being viewed differently, like playing in huge tournaments and getting on the Golf Channel. We’re starting to enjoy the benefits of our labor.”

LMU, Saint Mary’s, University of San Diego and BYU joined Pepperdine at the Pasadera Collegiate Invitational. All 10 Pepperdine golfers, who are all on campus or living in the Malibu area, qualified for the event.

For conference tournaments like Pasadera, each team has a five-man lineup whose scores represent the school, while the other players who qualify and aren’t in Pepperdine’s lineup play as individuals.

Seniors Austin Murphy, RJ Manke and Joey Vrzich, junior Derek Hitchner and sophomore Dylan Menante played as individual players in the tournament.

Head Coach Michael Beard, who constantly shuffles his lineup, went with McCarthy, sophomore William Mouw, fifth-year senior Clay Feagler, junior Joe Highsmith and freshman Caden Fioroni to start. Out of the quintet, it was McCarthy who distanced himself in the final round of 18 holes and finished 14 under, four stokes in front of the next golfer not in a Pepperdine uniform.

“I got off to a really good start,” McCarthy said. “I was putting the best I’ve ever putted. I was making everything I was looking at, and it was one of those freaky days where I was really clicking for the longest time.”

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Women’s Tennis team returns to Oracle Masters after long hiatus j u s t i n t ouh e y s po r ts a s si stant

pepperdine athletics Tee Time | Fifth-year Joshua McCarthy swings his driver at a 2019 tournament. McCarthy got his first career win at The Pasadera Collegiate Invitational on Oct. 5 and 6.

Going into the final round, McCarthy was not atop the leaderboards. Menante, who was playing as an individual, was the surprising scorecard breaker. He had a five-stroke advantage to McCarthy after two rounds.

McCarthy faced some adversity in the final 18 but ultimately secured the 14 under score, which tied Menante, who finished prior.

“I definitely hit a rough patch on hole 12,” McCarthy said. “I hit it in a bush and made a triple bogey.

After everything was perfect for so long, I was in trouble.

I had to compartmentalize that hole and just move on from it. I chipped in for eagle on 17, and it was such a good feeling. It reminded me that it was still my day.”

It was McCarthy’s first college win. His resume across three seasons still makes for a stellar career, as his 71.99 scoring average is fifth in school history and he is 20 rounds away from breaking Beard’s record for most played in school history with 162.

Menante had the hottest first two rounds of anyone in the field. He shot a 62 and a 65 and was 13 under heading into the final day.

“I’m a groove golfer,” Menante said. “After hole four or five in the first round, I started feeling my swing.

Before that I was just swinging around not in rhythm, but after sinking a 20-footer on 5, I knew it was gonna be a good tournament. When I start making putts, it’s over.

Once I make one, I know I can make 10 more good ones.”

Menante led the scores of the Waves playing as individuals. The storyline from the tournament was not just Pepperdine’s top-5 finishes but the depth of the team from top to bottom.

If Pepperdine’s individual players made up their own

separate team, they would have finished at 39 under as a group – just seven strokes behind the actual lineup’s 46. After the first two rounds, the apparent B-team had a two shot lead, which Vrzich and Menante spearheaded.

“The team is as nice as we thought,” Menante said.

“To have that depth and carry-over from last year is essential. We’ve read a lot this offseason saying we’re underdogs because we lost Sahith [Theegala] and have a number one spot to fill. This shows we can still be dominant.”

The team-wide performance shows that every week in practice is a competition.

When Theegala was on the team, the rest of the roster was competing for four spots. Now that he’s on the PGA Tour, all five spots in the lineup are up for grabs.

McCarthy said Coach Beard plays the hot hand and never starts the same group back to back.

“You can never stop working on your game,” McCarthy said. “Everyone is fighting for a spot in the lineup, and it changes so much because this sport is all about the ups and downs. There are weeks you play well and ones you definitely don’t.”

McCarthy said the team chemistry is in a better spot than years prior.

“This year is special,” McCarthy said. “The night before the tournament, almost the entire team was hitting balls at the Westlake driving range at 10 o’clock at night.

The whole team is bought in, and little things like that can be overlooked if you only focus on results. For the team, it’s those moments that are gonna propel success.”

Pepperdine will travel to Lompoc, CA, to play in the La Purisima College Invite on Oct. 18.

A U S T I N . H A L L @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

ali pepperdine levens | staff writer athletics

Pepperdine’s Women’s Tennis competed in the 2020 Oracle ITA Masters tournament the weekend of Oct. 9 in San Diego. It is the second Pepperdine Athletics team to return to competition after Men’s Golf competed this past week.

The tournament consisted of junior, collegiate and professional tennis players.

This tournament occurs at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center on Pepperdine’s campus in Malibu but was in San Diego this year due to Pepperdine’s campus closure.

Four Waves competed: Jessica Failla, Lexi Ryngler, Ashley Lahey and Nikki Redelijk. Lahey is a redshirt senior and Failla is a sixth-year senior. They both competed unattached.

Ryngler and Redelijk competed in the Pepperdine uniform. Ryngler is a redshirt freshman, and Redelijk is a true freshman. For Ryngler, it was her first time representing Pepperdine in competition after transferring from the University of Texas.

“It was great to compete for Pepperdine for the first time,” Ryngler said. “I was happy to make my debut despite the unusual circumstances.”

Lahey — who finished last season as the No. 1 women’s tennis player in the nation, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association — also made her season debut and played her first match since March.

“It was special to be in that mindset again and go on the court and compete,” Lahey said. “I lost to two girls younger than me, but I was honestly just so excited and happy to play. I know there are going to be a lot of opportunities for me for the rest of 2020, and I am just enjoying being on the court and take each moment as a blessing.”

Unlike Lahey, Failla competed in a few tournaments this past summer and said she was excited about more opportunities opening up over the next few months.

Each player won at least one match at the tournament.

Redelijk and Lahey lost in the round of 16, Redelijk in two sets (6–0, 6–0) and Lahey in three sets (5–7, 7–6, 1–0). Fallia lost in the quarterfinals in three sets (4–6, 6–4, 1–0), and Ryngler lost in the semifinals in three sets (4–6, 6–4, 13–11).

Social distancing measures were in place through-

ali levens | Photo editor Strong Return | Fifth-year senior Ashley Lahey serves during a match Oct. 6, 2019. Lahey returned to Pepperdine after finishing last season ranked as the No. 1 player in the country. out the tournament to comply with San Diego County guidelines regarding COVID-19.

“It was weird and different with everyone having to wear masks and limited socialization when you are not playing,” Ryngler said.

“They are strict about how many guests can come, so it is a different environment than I am used to.”

Ryngler said one of the hardest adjustments for athletes is getting used to competing again after a long time away from their respective sport.

“That first night I was trying to get myself back into the normalcy of play and just the right mindset of competing,” Ryngler said. “Once I stepped on the court and started playing again, everything felt right and awesome.”

Lahey said adjusting to a competitive environment has been challenging due to the fact that it is difficult to mimic.

“This was my highest level of competition for me in a long time,” Lahey said. “You have to be engaged the entire time, and I did not have that for the duration of the match. I felt my mind wander, and my biggest focus is to continue to play more matches.”

Despite the unusual circumstances, Failla said the atmosphere was one of excitement and joy.

“I think players had a lot more excitement than usual,” Failla said. “Everyone is so thankful for a tournament.

That was taken for granted before the pandemic.”

Athletic teams at Pepperdine began training sessions with a majority of their athletes over the last couple of weeks, and team chemistry develops more as the teams begin to spend more time together.

“All the girls have been so welcoming, and it was so nice,” Ryngler said. “Everyone who came played, and they cheered me on all my matches.”

Lahey said she looks to play in a few more tournaments in the coming months after returning to Los Angeles last week.

Failla said her focus will be on nationals in Florida in three weeks.

The team finished 13th in the team national ranking before COVID-19 canceled the season.

Pepperdine Women’s Tennis gained a talented freshman from Moscow in Taisaya Pachkaleva and another transfer from fifth-ranked Ohio State in Shiori Fukuda. Sophomores Astrid Olsen and Lisa Zaar also come back as well as junior Anastasia Iamachkine.

On the men’s side, Guy Den Ouden competed in the French Open Junior Championships the weekend of Oct. 4 and made the semifinals. He is an incoming freshman from the Netherlands and joins a men’s team that finished with an undefeated record and ranked 19th in the Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

JUSTIN.TOUHEY@PEPPER DINE.EDU

ali levens | Photo editor

Masked Men | The 2020–2021 Pepperdine Golf Team poses for a group Strong Return | Sixth-year senior Jessica Failla swings while playing photo after the Pasadera Collegiate Invitational on Oct. 6. The team in a semifinal match Oct. 5, 2019. Failla competed in a few tournaments this past summer. tested negative for COVID-19 multiple times and wore masks.

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P E P P E R DIN E GR A P H IC M E DIA | S PORTS | O C T O B E R 1 5 , 20 20

Opinion: Sports desk picks NFL Week 6 kar l w int er spor ts edi tor Events got even weirder in Week 5 of the NFL season, with COVID-19 and the injury bug wreaking havoc.

Tragically, Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a gruesome season-ending injury, but amazingly, Washington quarterback Alex Smith took the field after missing nearly two years with a life-threatening leg injury.

The NFL reshuffled its schedule after postponing the Broncos–Patriots matchup to Week 6 when several Patriots players tested positive for COVID-19. The schedule changes impacted 11 teams.

We actually did see a rare Tuesday night football game.

Chargers’ rookie Justin Herbert remains the best quarterback in NFL history to never win a game.

Assistant Sports Editor Paxton Ritchey and Staff Writer Austin Hall each gained a game in our picks standings, thanks in part to wins by Houston, Carolina and Miami.

Carolina’s win over Atlanta cemented the Falcons’ misery so much that Atlanta followed Houston’s lead and fired the head coach and general manager less than halfway through the season.

In other words, there were so many oddities that it was a normal week in the 2020 NFL season.

Week 6 features the possibility that the Giants get their first win of the season, the probability that the Jets and Falcons don’t, a third career matchup between quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers and a pivotal AFC North clash.

Without further ado, allow Staff Writers Kyle McCabe and Hall, Sports Assistant Justin Touhey, Ritchey, Photo Editor Ali Levens and Sports Editor Karl Winter to make their selections, starting with the postponed game.

Denver Broncos (1–3) at New England Patriots (2–2) (Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1:25 p.m., PDT) Justin: Patriots Paxton: Patriots Austin: Patriots Ali: Patriots Kyle: Broncos Karl: Patriots “[The Broncos] got in a fairly good rhythm against the Jets. The number of points the Jets put up on us was almost entirely our own mistakes. […] I’m not expecting us to play mistake-free football with a bunch of backups. The entire team is injured, but I’m hoping that, getting a taste of winning, they’ll actually hang on to it. If [quarterback] Drew Lock comes back, that’ll be a big help.” — Kyle “I don’t think it matters if [Patriots quarterback] Cam Newton is healthy.

The Patriots are on a skid right now, and they’re by far superior. Playing at home — strange week or not, Cam or not — I like New England.” — Karl Houston Texans (1–4) at Tennessee Titans (4–0) (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m., PDT)

Justin: Titans Paxton: Texans Austin: Titans Ali: Titans Kyle: Titans Karl: Titans The fire on the [interim Texans Head Coach] Romeo Crennel train hasn’t run out of coal just yet. The Titans looked great against the Bills, but I can’t shake the feeling that this matchup screams trap game. We don’t know how the Tuesday–Sunday lay-off is going to affect teams. It’s hard to call this game the biggest one of the Titans season, but it might be for the Texans, who still consider themselves a playoff-caliber roster.

I like Houston to spring the upset. Also, Tennessee did all that stupid COVID stuff; they deserve to lose.”

— Paxton “The Titans absolutely showed the other undefeated team who shall remain undefeated [beating Buffalo 42–16 on Tuesday] — so I will go with the Titans because the Texans are still falling apart even though they beat the Jags, which isn’t an ‘achievement.’” — Ali Cleveland Browns (4–1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4–0) (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m., PDT) Justin: Browns Paxton: Steelers Austin: Steelers Ali: Steelers Kyle: Steelers Karl: Browns “[The Browns] played extremely well against the Colts defense, which happens to be one of the best in the NFL. I think they’ve actually figured out that Baker Mayfield should not be the centerpiece of this offense. […] The Steelers, while they are undefeated, I don’t think are one of the best teams in the NFL.” — Justin “I think the Steelers have a really good defensive front, and I don’t think that [Browns quarterback] Baker [Mayfield] is really experienced enough to handle a game where he faces significant pressure throughout the whole thing. Plus, this is a division rivalry the Steelers have owned for God knows how long, so I’m going to pick on the side of history.”

— Kyle Baltimore Ravens (4–1) at Philadelphia Eagles (1–3–1) (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m., PDT) Justin: Ravens Paxton: Ravens Austin: Ravens Ali: Ravens Kyle: Ravens Karl: Ravens “I think [Eagles quarterback] Carson Wentz is going to have some flashes, now that he has practice-squad receivers who he doesn’t have to argue about whether he’s a good quarterback with. But I think the Ravens are just going to dominate possession and control the clock and keep the Eagles offense off the field. [The Ravens are] not going to have too many empty possessions; there’s just no way to keep pace, unless you stop the run, so Ravens win.” — Paxton

Washington Football Team (1–4) at New York Giants (0–5) (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m., PDT) Justin: Giants Paxton: Giants Austin: Giants Ali: Giants Kyle: Giants Karl: Giants “As much as I want to say the Football Team because [Washington quarterback] Kyle Allen did look good in his [season debut], there just wasn’t as big of a sample size yet. […] The two [Washington] quarterbacks got sacked a combined eight times, seven of them by two different guys, which is so crazy to me. While they’re not going to be up against that really at all with the Giants, the sample size for Kyle Allen is just not big enough for me yet. Even in a sort of blown loss by the Giants [in Dallas], they did look competent. I think this will be their first victory.” — Austin Atlanta Falcons (0–5) at Minnesota Vikings (1–4) (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m., PDT) Justin: Falcons Paxton: Vikings Austin: Vikings Ali: Vikings Kyle: Vikings Karl: Vikings “[Falcons quarterback] Matt Ryan’s a better quarterback than [Vikings quarterback] Kirk Cousins. My goodness me, that poor man — he throws for a billion yards a game and gets exactly zero returns on investment. It is time for Matt Ryan to actually huck the ball against that Kirk Cousins. […] It’s a perfect time for Matt Ryan to get his first win.” — Justin “This game is not as close as it looks when it comes to the records. [Former Falcons Head Coach] Dan Quinn has been fired. We saw that firing your head coach worked out great for the Texans, mid-season, so it’s an interesting storyline, and I think it was a move that had to come at some point.

But this game I don’t think is going to be close at all. […] The Vikings are as on track as you can be at 1–4, putting up a fight in Seattle and winning the previous week. [This is a] nightmare matchup for Atlanta because of how bad their secondary has looked and how good the Vikings receiving corps has been lately.” — Karl Detroit Lions (1–3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1–4) (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m., PDT) Justin: Lions Paxton: Lions Austin: Lions Ali: Lions Kyle: Lions Karl: Lions “I think [Jags quarterback] Gardner [Minshew] plays the quarterback position like a poor man’s [Lions quarterback] Matthew Stafford, and that really says something. I hate [Lions Head Coach] Matt Patricia, but I do really like Stafford. Top-to-bottom, the Jaguars are pretty bad.

I think the Lions are sleepers to go 8–8.” — Austin

inez kim | sports design assistant Cincinnati Bengals (1–3– 1) at Indianapolis Colts (3–2) (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m., PDT) Justin: Colts Paxton: Colts Austin: Colts Ali: Colts Kyle: Colts Karl: Colts “The Bengals are in a club you don’t want to be in: teams that have only beaten the Jets and/or Giants. Those teams include Bengals, Broncos and, surprisingly, the 49ers. I think Bengals might be the worst out of those teams, and I don’t see them beating the Colts.” — Kyle Chicago Bears (4–1) at Carolina Panthers (3–2) (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m., PDT) Justin: Bears Paxton: Bears Austin: Panthers Ali: Panthers Kyle: Bears Karl: Bears “[Panthers Head Coach] Matt Rhule is officially a good coach. Three out of three without [injured running back] Christian McCaffrey — the Panthers are another walking representation of my sentiment to not pay a running back; I don’t care who it is. I think I’ve lost every single one of my Bears picks, which is infuriating, but I’m going to go with the Panthers. I like what I’ve seen. I don’t really know why. [Panthers quarterback] ‘Check-down TeddyTwo-Gloves’ Bridgewater is playing good enough. […]

I still don’t like what I was seeing from the Bears as of recently. I know it’s a long season, but I’m going to go with Matt Rhule, my favorite motivational speaker.”

— Austin “Somehow the Panthers are still favored — they’re at home, but the spread and everything else loves to go against the Bears. Every ESPN ‘analyst’ picked the Bucs last week, but I still don’t think the Bears have reached their full potential in a game yet this year and put together four solid quarters. They got down last week and still managed to pull out a win. I think [Bears quarterback Nick] Foles will get a little better as we go. [Bears defensive] Khalil Mack was back and better than ever last week.

He looked incredible, and I think the Bears will mix it up with defensive schemes to get after Bridgewater and stuff up that run.” — Karl New York Jets (0–5) at Miami Dolphins (2–3) (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 1:05 p.m., PDT)

Justin: Dolphins Paxton: Dolphins Austin: Dolphins Ali: Dolphins Kyle: Dolphins Karl: Dolphins “Knock knock. Who’s there? Owen. Owen who?

Oh and six! They do not have a shot at winning this football game. [Dolphins quarterback] Ryan Fitzpatrick is going to run and let his beard flow in the wind.

He’s going to run circles around the New York Jets.

[Jets quarterback] Sam Darnold is going to see so many ghosts. He’s going to think actual Dolphins are jumping out of the field.

It’s just not going to be close.” — Paxton Green Bay Packers (4–0) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3–2) (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 1:25 p.m., PDT) Justin: Packers Paxton: Packers Austin: Packers Ali: Buccaneers Kyle: Packers Karl: Buccaneers “I like the Packers to drop one here. They’re coming off a bye, which is good for them, but the Bucs are also coming off a long week and there’s a game or two every year where the Packers just don’t have it going. The Bucs have a pretty solid defense and I think it will bounce back. They have the advantage in the skill positions. […] I think the Bucs are going to be able to stuff up that Packers run game a little bit. With [wide receiver Chris] Godwin back [and the] Bucs at home, I think this is going to be a trap game for Green Bay. I’m going to go out on a limb and take Brady over Rodgers.” — Karl “Somebody finally told him: [Buccaneers quarterback] Tom Brady is an old, old man. He can no longer count to four, which means he is not eligible to play in the National Football League. […] He will get absolutely demolished by the bad, bad man from Green Bay.” — Kyle Los Angeles Rams (4–1) at San Francisco 49ers (2–3) (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 5:20 p.m., PDT) Justin: 49ers Paxton: Rams Austin: Rams Ali: Rams Kyle: Rams Karl: Rams “[49ers quarterback] Jimmy G is definitely a top-15 quarterback in the league. He’s on the brink of top ten — let’s not kid ourselves here. […] [49ers

Head Coach] Kyle Shanahan’s record is not very good when he doesn’t have Jimmy Garoppolo. When he has Jimmy Garoppolo, he has fewer than ten losses. They are coming off a week when they lost to God at football. [Rams quarterback] Jared Goff is no Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Rams are due for another loss.” — Justin “I do not have faith in the 49ers. They have embarrassed me for the last time. […] They look like absolute poop, and that’s coming from a Giants fan.

The fact that they only won in New Jersey? That’s basically gimmes.” — Ali Kansas City Chiefs (4–1) at Buffalo Bills (4–1) (Monday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m., PDT) Justin: Chiefs Paxton: Chiefs Austin: Chiefs Ali: Chiefs Kyle: Chiefs Karl: Chiefs “Both teams will be motivated after a loss, so this could be a good one. Overall, I will take the precision and poise of [Chiefs quarterback] Patrick Mahomes if this game comes down to quarterbacks. Both these teams are for real, but Chiefs win.” — Paxton Arizona Cardinals (3–2) at Dallas Cowboys (2–3) (Monday, Oct. 19 at 5:15 p.m., PDT) Justin: Cardinals Paxton: Cardinals Austin: Cardinals Ali: Cardinals Kyle: Cardinals Karl: Cardinals “I really, really wanted to see [the Cowboys] let [quarterback Dak Prescott] walk, so Andy Dalton could come in and go 9–7 and take them to the playoffs instead of Dak. Then, when I saw him fumble his fourth snap, turn the ball over, and ruin my parlay — my thoughts changed real fast. [Dalton] is a competent quarterback […] I think the Cowboys could play an inspired quarter.

They’ll be motivated, but their defense is still atrocious. […] The Cardinals have been playing really, really good, particularly in the second half. Without Dak, I don’t know that the Cowboys have as much of a second-half rally in them as they’ve had in the past.”

— Austin

K AR L .W INTER @PEPPER DINE.EDU